Britain would back any United Nations-led military action taken to force out incumbent Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo, William Hague has said. But the UK's foreign secretary stressed that this did not mean he was raising the prospect of sending British troops to assist with the situation. Presidential rival Alassane Ouattara is recognised by the international community as winner of a recent vote. But Mr Gbagbo - who has control of the armed forces - refuses to leave office. Regional west African leaders have threatened to send in troops to remove him from power. Mr Hague told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the UK would, "in principle", support any move by the UN to authorise such action. He said: "[The leaders] would be well advised to seek the authority of the United Nations to do that and we would be supportive of that at the UN." But he added: "We are a long way here from discussing British forces being deployed. "We have deployed a military liaison officer to the country to work on various contingencies with the French, but I'm not raising the possibility today of British forces being deployed." Mr Hague said Mr Gbagbo must recognise the result of the election and urged him to step down. UN protection He said: "Through all possible diplomatic means, we are supporting a resolution of this crisis." Mr Ouattara and his cabinet are under the protection of UN soldiers at the Golf Hotel in the capital Abidjan. He was initially declared the winner of the elections, but his victory was overturned by the Constitutional Council. Mr Gbagbo says his rival's victory was illegitimate and both men have been sworn in as president. West African regional bloc Ecowas is currently engaged with Mr Gbagbo in negotiations to resolve the crisis. The presidents of Benin, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde left without a deal on Wednesday, but are expected to return on 3 January for more talks. The World Bank has said it has frozen financing for Ivory Coast, and Mr Hague added: "[Mr Gbagbo] will run out of money. His power relies on control of the army. "He will run out of money in the next few weeks and that means his power will come to an end. "He should not underestimate the determination of the international community that the will of the people of that country should be recognised." Meanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon has warned Mr Gbagbo's supporters not to follow a call to storm the hotel where Mr Ouattara is staying. A statement from his office said: "Any attack on the Golf Hotel could provoke widespread violence that could reignite civil war." He said that an attack on peacekeepers constituted a crime under international law and its instigators would be held accountable. The UN has some 9,500 peacekeepers in the country. Mr Gbagbo has told them to leave, accusing them of interfering in Ivorian affairs, but the UN has refused to do so. Source: BBC