Putin : No Independent Kosovo - Period"

BBC

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said any decision on Kosovo's

fate must be agreed by Belgrade and Pristina.

His UN envoy earlier said that world bodies would not recognise Kosovo

if it declared unilateral independence.

The Serb province's ethnic Albanians are set to declare independence

with conditional US and EU backing, despite opposition from Belgrade

and Moscow.

Talks on Kosovo's future, brokered by the EU, US and Russia, ended

last year without agreement.

Kosovo has been run by the UN since 1999, when a US-led Nato bombing

campaign drove out Serb forces accused of a brutal crackdown on ethnic

Albanian separatism.

Ethnic Albanians now form about 90% of the province's population.

'Decision time'

"Any resolution on Kosovo must be approved by both sides," Mr Putin

argued in an article published in the Bulgarian press to coincide with

his visit to the country.

"It is also clear that any resolution on Kosovo will set a precedent

in international practice," Mr Putin said.

Russia has previously warned that a unilateral declaration of

independence by Kosovo could set a dangerous precedent for separatist

struggles elsewhere in the former Soviet Union.

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told the UN Security Council on

Wednesday that independence was necessary for "regional success".

Mr Thaci, whose Democratic Party emerged out of the Kosovo Liberation

Army rebel group, said a declaration of independence was only a matter

of time.

Moscow meanwhile said Kosovo would never be accepted as a state by the

United Nations or other world political bodies if it declared

independence.

- - - - -

Is this where the next great european war, or WW-3, starts ?

Looks as if Serbia has Moscows backing - because Moscow

can't allow Kosovo to set an example that will cause all

kinds of problems within the Russian federation.

The US and Kosovans seem equally intent on creating an

independent state.

That means war.

In article <478f4ab2.1716005@news.east.earthlink.net>, bw@barrk.net

says...

> BBC

> Russian President Vladimir Putin has said any decision on Kosovo's

> fate must be agreed by Belgrade and Pristina.

Good for him. It's too bad the US wants to keep sticking it's nose

into Russia's business lately. How would it be receieved in the US if

Putin announced that the US needs to leave Cuba alone and end the

embargo?

>

> His UN envoy earlier said that world bodies would not recognise Kosovo

> if it declared unilateral independence.

Kosovo is part of Serbia. If it can separate because some

Albanians want it to, then any US state can go off on it's own, and

ditto for Canadian provinces.

>

> The Serb province's ethnic Albanians are set to declare independence

> with conditional US and EU backing, despite opposition from Belgrade

> and Moscow.

>

> Talks on Kosovo's future, brokered by the EU, US and Russia, ended

> last year without agreement.

>

> Kosovo has been run by the UN since 1999, when a US-led Nato bombing

> campaign drove out Serb forces accused of a brutal crackdown on ethnic

> Albanian separatism.

>

> Ethnic Albanians now form about 90% of the province's population.

>

> 'Decision time'

>

> "Any resolution on Kosovo must be approved by both sides," Mr Putin

> argued in an article published in the Bulgarian press to coincide with

> his visit to the country.

>

> "It is also clear that any resolution on Kosovo will set a precedent

> in international practice," Mr Putin said.

>

> Russia has previously warned that a unilateral declaration of

> independence by Kosovo could set a dangerous precedent for separatist

> struggles elsewhere in the former Soviet Union.

>

> Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told the UN Security Council on

> Wednesday that independence was necessary for "regional success".

>

> Mr Thaci, whose Democratic Party emerged out of the Kosovo Liberation

> Army rebel group, said a declaration of independence was only a matter

> of time.

>

> Moscow meanwhile said Kosovo would never be accepted as a state by the

> United Nations or other world political bodies if it declared

> independence.

>

> - - - - -

>

>

> Is this where the next great european war, or WW-3, starts ?

>

> Looks as if Serbia has Moscows backing - because Moscow