Speaking at a gathering of Duma-faction heads in the Kremlin on 28 March, President Vladimir Putin said the crisis in Iraq has developed into the most serious global conflict since the end of the Cold War and that it has shaken the foundations of global stability and international law, the presidential website (http://www.president.kremlin.ru) reported. The crisis has already developed beyond being merely a local conflict and has taken on a protracted and intractable nature, Putin added. He said that although Russia has economic interests in the conflict, its political position is not determined by those interests or by potential economic benefits. He repeated Moscow\'s insistence that military operations be halted immediately and the responsibility for seeking a solution to the crisis returned to the UN Security Council. He emphasized that Russia is ready for \"constructive cooperation with all parties involved in the conflict, including, of course, the United States.\" He stressed that relations between Russia and the United States have reached a level that would permit a \"frank dialogue\" on Iraq. (RFE/RL)