Latest developments: The story so far

Thursday’s developments: President Bush will not press for a vote this week on a U.N. Security Council resolution on Iraqi disarmament and may drop the balloting altogether, U.S. officials said, as the nine votes needed for passage continued to prove elusive. France, Russia and Germany dismissed a British proposal establishing specific tasks for Iraqi disarmament. France said the proposal would essentially lock the U.N. into a planned U.S. invasion. Chile and Mexico are drafting a new proposal they hope will unite the council.

Next step: U.S. and British diplomats said they would work a few more days to try to find a compromise.

Time frame: Bush has quietly indicated that he would support giving Iraq until March 28 if that would win more votes at the United Nations.