Prague, Czech Republic ? Reminding European leaders how the United States defended their nations in wars past, President Bush insisted Wednesday that Europe now has an obligation in the war on terrorism to join the United States in defending against the threat posed by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

And as the Dec. 8 deadline looms for Hussein to declare what weapons of mass destruction he possesses, Bush warned the Iraqi leader that he would be “entering his final stage with a lie” if he continues to claim he has no such weapons.

Speaking on the eve of a two-day NATO summit, Bush said that war with Iraq remains a last resort and that he hopes Hussein will disarm voluntarily. But even as he spoke, U.S. officials were sending letters to 50 nations asking what contribution they could make should such a military action be necessary.

“The world needs the nations of this continent to be active in the defense of freedom, not inward-looking or isolated by indifference,” Bush said in a speech before the Prague Atlantic Student Summit.

“Ignoring dangers or excusing aggression may temporarily avert conflict, but they don’t bring true peace. International stability must be actively defended, and all nations that benefit from that stability have a duty to help.”

Bush has already won the backing of the United Nations for a resolution demanding that Hussein disarm or face “serious consequences.” But the president still faces the prospect that, should war be necessary, it would be fought almost exclusively by U.S. and British forces.

Except for Great Britain, European leaders do not share Bush’s sense of urgency about Hussein’s buildup of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and appeared unmoved by Bush’s attempts to respond to some of their concerns.

To appease allies, Bush halted his talk about the need for “regime change” in Iraq and the desirability of a pre-emptive military strike. He also sought the blessing of the international community through the United Nations.

Still, he has made little apparent progress in persuading other nations to join what he calls a “coalition of the willing,” even as the deadline nears for deciding whether military action is needed.

Bush’s peace-through-strength approach to Iraq has made many war-wary U.S. allies uneasy. But the president insisted that the only way to keep the current situation from deteriorating into armed conflict is to convince Hussein that the world is as ready as the United States to go to war with him should Hussein fail to give up his weapons.