As stated in “The Report of the Iraq Inquiry – Executive Summary”: “194. Mr Blair was informed on the evening of 4 March that US military planners were looking at 12 March as the possible start date for the military campaign; and that Mr Geoff Hoon, the Defense Secretary, was concerned about the apparent disconnect with activity in the UN …
196. Sir Christopher Hum, British Ambassador to China, advised on 4 March that if the resolution was put to a vote that day, China would abstain …
197. Sir John Holmes, British Ambassador to France, advised on 4 March that France’s main aim was to ‘avoid being out on the spot’ by influencing the undecided, preventing the US and UK mustering nine votes, and keeping alongside the Russians and Chinese; and that there was ‘nothing that we can do to dissuade them from this course’. Sir John also advised that ‘nothing the French say at this stage, even privately, should be taken at face value’ …
198. Mr Igor Ivanov, the Russian Foreign Minister, told Mr Straw on 4 March that Russia had failed in an attempt to persuade Saddam Hussein to leave and it would veto a resolution based on the draft circulated on 24 February.”
– Commissioned by the Prime Minister The Right Honourable Gordon Brown MP, “The Report of the Iraq Inquiry: Executive Summary,” IraqInquiry.org.uk, March 4, 2003