The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and the Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, yesterday likened the Chechen separatists behind the Beslan school massacre to Nazi disregard for human life.
Mr Blair told President Vladimir Putin of Britain's horror at the school outrage which claimed more than 350 lives. Mr Blair telephoned Mr Putin after the Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, declared the UK would "readily" aid any action against terrorism decided by Moscow.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister and President Putin have had a conversation by telephone and President Putin was very grateful for the sympathy expressed by the British people for what has happened."
Earlier, Mr Straw rejected suggestions that the United Nations or another international body should be drafted in to try to resolve the Chechnya conflict, seen as the spark for the outrage.
Interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Straw said: "We have always worked closely with the government of Russia in counter-terrorist operations and if and when they need any assistance and advice from us, of course they will be offered it very readily."
But on internationalising the Chechnya situation, Mr Straw pointed out that peace was achieved in Northern Ireland by the British and Irish Governments. "This (Chechnya) is something which is bound to have to be resolved by the Russian government," he said.