The United States will force a vote this week to place UN sanctions on Zimbabwe's leaders after Russia's new President joined other G8 leaders yesterday in threatening “further steps” against Robert Mugabe's Government.

The decision to force a showdown in the 15-nation UN Security Council followed two impassioned debates at the rich nations' G8 summit at Lake Toya, Japan.

British officials said that Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, used shock tactics to win support for a tough G8 statement refusing to recognise Mr Mugabe's rule. He was said to have pulled fellow leaders aside to show them a horrific photograph of a driver for Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change who was brutally murdered last month. He told them that every day the world failed to act, similar tragedies would follow.

The G8 members Russia and Italy dropped their opposition to sanctions, breaking with the African Union and China.

“We do not accept the legitimacy of any government that does not reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people,” the G8 statement said. “We will take further steps, inter alia introducing financial and other measures against those individuals responsible for the violence,” the leaders added.

Mr Brown said: “This is the strongest statement. It shows the unity of the whole international community reflecting the outrage people feel about the violence and intimidation and the illegitimate holding of power by the Mugabe Government.

“What we've agreed is that we will send a United Nations envoy to press for change in Zimbabwe. And what we have also agreed is, financial and other sanctions will be imposed on members of the Zimbabwe regime.

“To bring together Russia, France, Germany, Italy, America and Canada, all the G8 countries, with Japan, in putting this statement forward shows that the whole international community is now not prepared to accept an illegitimate government.”

Zimbabwe's Government called the G8 statement racist and an insult to African leaders. “They want to undermine the African Union and [South African] President Mbeki's [mediation] efforts because they are racist, because they think only white people think better,” said the Deputy Information Minister, Bright Matonga. “It's an insult to African leaders.”

Washington is asking the UN Security Council to place an arms embargo on Zimbabwe and impose a worldwide travel ban and asset freeze on Mr Mugabe and 13 other ringleaders of election abuses in the country.

The US proposal would also require the UN to name its own special representative in the country, effectively sidelining the current mediator, President Mbeki.

Although Russia signed up to the G8 statement, Moscow's UN Ambassador called the US push for UN sanctions excessive and suggested that Moscow might still block the resolution. “We should make it clear that the Security Council is not about to enter into the whole realm of mediating elections, or judging elections,” Vitali Churkin, Russia's UN representative, said. South Africa, also a council member, repeated its opposition to the proposed UN sanctions.

“The African Union has said categorically that we do not need sanctions against Zimbabwe,” Dumisano Kumalo, South Africa's UN representative, said. “Right now the problem we have is that these sanctions will create more complications.” US officials said they had the nine votes necessary to adopt a resolution in the council, provided neither Russia or China exercised their veto power.

“There is broad agreement that the council cannot be indifferent to what has happened. Action is required,” said Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington's UN Ambassador. “There are differences of view on exactly what should be done. There are some that argue only political pressure is needed. We are of the view that we have been there and done that - and failed to get results.

“We believe if one is serious about impacting the situation - given the record we have had with Mr Mugabe - we need to add pressure to incentivise Mr Mugabe,” he said.

The UN's second-in-command told the Security Council yesterday that the worsening food shortage in Zimbabwe could leave 5.1 million people “at grave risk”. Asha Rose Megiro, the deputy secretary-general, called for the speedy creation of a mediation “mechanism on the ground” - diplomatic code for beefing up the mediation effort with a UN role.

“It is clear Zimbabwe will have to go through a political transition bringing together its people around a common project,” she said. “It will also need a process of national healing and reconciliation that should include wideranging and participatory national consultations.” She added that the Secretary-General was concerned that violence could spread across the country.

Times Recommends

• Violent video games won’t corrupt
• Pope Benedict XVI: Alma Mater
• Chávez should know what’s good for him