In the end, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer was right. The leaders of the European Union were able late Monday to merge what Fischer called their starkly contrasting positions into a common commitment on the disarmament of Iraq and on a possible U.S.-led invasion of the country.

In a statement that Chancellor Gerhard Schröder called a classic compromise, the 15 leaders offered words of support for the leading opponents in the debate. To Schröder and French President Jacques Chirac, the statement stressed the need for pursuing a peaceful course aimed at disarming Iraq. To British Prime Minister Tony Blair, it acknowledged that force might be necessary to enforce a U.N. resolution on the disarmament of Iraq.

"War is not inevitable," the statement said. "Force should be used only as a last resort."

Both positions gain support

The declaration continued in a similar tone, endorsing both positions.

"We reiterate our full support for the ongoing work of the U.N. inspectors," it said, reflecting a stance taken by Schröder. "They must be given the time and resources that the United Nations Security Council believes they need."

Later, it used tougher language indicating that the European Union was prepared to back Blair on the use of force. "Baghdad should have no illusions: it must disarm and cooperate immediately and fully. Iraq has a final opportunity to resolve the crisis peacefully. The Iraqi regime alone will be responsible for the consequences if it continues to flout the will of the international community and does not take this last chance," the declaration said.

The leaders were called together in an emergency summit by Greece, which holds the rotating European presidency, as the divide over Iraq began to grow within the Union last month. Schröder, a public opponent of a possible war, fueled the argument last month when he said that Germany would vote against any U.N. resolution authorizing a war on Iraq. Blair then countered with a public declaration supporting the United States that was signed by him and seven other European leaders. "Europe and America must stand together," said the appeal, which appeared in the Wall Street Journal Europe and other European newspapers.

NATO caught in argument

The conflict spread to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization this month as well, when Germany, France and Belgium set off one of the alliance's worst crises by vetoing a U.S. effort to begin military preparations to help Turkey, the alliance member that borders Iraq. This dispute was settled late Sunday in part by an alliance pledge to support the U.N. effort to disarm Iraq peacefully.

After the talks were over, Schröder and Blair indicated that they had not changed their minds about the right approach to disarming Iraq.

Schröder said he had worked to weaken parts of the declaration that said such things as time is quickly running out. "That would have been totally unacceptable to us," Schröder said.

Blair said afterward that if Iraq could not be disarmed peacefully "it has to be done by force."

Chancellor defends position

Schröder also said he had not backed away from his push for a peaceful resolution by endorsing a statement that accepted the use of force as a last resort. "We have used force as part of our involvement in Enduring Freedom (the U.S.-led fight against terrorism) and in the Balkans," Schröder said. "That is difficult for everyone. As a matter of principle, we have not been able to rule it out and have never ruled it out."

On Tuesday, the European leaders will ask the 10 nations seeking to join the Union to support the declaration. Most of these countries have endorsed the U.S. position, and Chirac rebuked the prospective members for their position. "It is not really responsible behavior," Chirac said. "They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."