http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18520192/
Financial Times May 6, 2007 US, EU warn Russia on Kosovo independence By Daniel Dombey in London and Neil MacDonald in Belgrade -Nicholas Burns, US undersecretary of state, said that the US and the EU would probably start circulating a draft resolution at the UN this week. "We hope very much that Russia is going to work with us and be a productive member of this group," he said. "It's hard to stop history." The US and the European Union are seeking to push through a United Nations resolution on Kosovo this month, warning Russia that if it vetoes any such measure it will be responsible for any resulting violence or instability in the province. US and European officials hope that, despite recent friction between Russia and the west on a range of topics, Moscow will abstain rather than veto the plan. "It would be quite a big step if Russia blocked a resolution of what is fundamentally a European issue," said a senior British official. "I would hope that the Security Council would agree this month for the simple reason that the meeting at the G8 can agree on a more positive agenda [at its June 6-8 summit]," said Martti Ahtisaari, the UN's mediator for Kosovo, last week. "Otherwise this issue will haunt that meeting as well." He added, referring to his plan to give Kosovo "supervised independence" under the European Union and Nato: "In light of my experience of the past year and a half, this is the only possible solution." He predicted that an international presence would be required in Kosovo for another five years or so. Russia has consistently said that any deal needs to be backed by both the Serbs and the Kosovo Albanians and has repeatedly dismissed the Ahtisaari plan. ..... "It's sure that the Kosovars will declare independence under any circumstances," said Albert Rohan, Mr Ahtisaari's deputy.... He added that rather than simply declaring Kosovo independent, a UN resolution would give the province a "platform" for independence, by giving it the right to join international organisations. As a result, he said, Russia could still refuse to recognise Kosovo, even after a resolution was passed, and could even veto a specific Kosovan application to join the UN. Nicholas Burns, US undersecretary of state, said that the US and the EU would probably start circulating a draft resolution at the UN this week. "We hope very much that Russia is going to work with us and be a productive member of this group," he said. "It's hard to stop history." .....
