Embarrassment for Gordon Brown over Kremlin's blow to Mugabe sanctions

In what may lead to yet another diplomatic showdown with Russia, Moscow branded 'excessive' the proposed international sanctions against Zimbabwe which Mr Brown had hailed.

On the final day of the G8 summit in Japan, Mr Brown said he hoped United Nations sanctions could be in place within days after Russia signed up to a statement denouncing Robert Mugabe's regime as 'illegitimate'.

Strained: Gordon Brown seated next to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the G8 Summit in Japan yesterday

He said the summit had made clear the 'revulsion' of the world at a Zimbabwean regime that had 'blood on its hands'. 

However, critics immediately pointed out that there is still likely to be opposition to sanctions from China, a long-time ally of Zimbabwe.

Last night Russian president Dmitry Medvedev insisted 'no concrete decisions' had been taken on the resolution.

Gordon Brown wants Robert Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe to be declared 'illegitimate'

He said it would have to be approved unanimously at the UN, not just by the G8.

Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin suggested the draft Security Council resolution drawn up by the U.S. and Britain was outside the UN Charter.

'I personally believe that some elements of the draft are quite excessive, in fact incongruous, and clearly in conflict with the notion of sovereignty of a state member of the United Nations so some of these things have to be looked at very carefully,' he said.

Russia's opposition is a bitter blow for Mr Brown who believed he had secured G8 backing for the measures, including an international travel ban on Mugabe.

Meanwhile, George Bush signed off from the world stage with a joke about America's role as the worst contributor to climate change.

The U.S. president marked the end of his last G8 summit by punching the air and declaring 'goodbye from the world's biggest polluter'.

Diplomatic sources said he had meant the remark as a Texan wisecrack to lighten the atmosphere.