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US warns of Kosovo plan failure | US warns of Kosovo plan failure |
(about 15 hours later) | |
The United States has warned Russia against blocking a UN Security Council resolution on the future of Kosovo. | |
The US ambassador at the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, said that in the event of deadlock the Security Council could lose its control over the process. | |
Earlier, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner cast doubt on Russia's co-operation over Kosovo. | |
Moscow remains opposed to moves by the majority ethnic Albanians in Kosovo to break away from Serbia. | |
Mr Khalilzad told reporters that Russia would bear responsibility for blocking the draft resolution and warned of the consequences. | |
"Either the Council deals with this, with Russia playing a constructive role, taking a step in the right direction, or Russia will be responsible for pushing this process outside the Council", Mr Khalilzad said on Wednesday. | |
A few hours earlier, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said he was not optimistic about a deal on Kosovo. | |
"I hope there will be a compromise with the Russians on the resolution... but I very much doubt it," he said. | "I hope there will be a compromise with the Russians on the resolution... but I very much doubt it," he said. |
Russia unmoved | |
The Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, rejected the latest version of the text, even though a reference to an automatic path to "supervised independence" had been removed. | |
Some Kosovo Albanians are growing impatient with negotiations | Some Kosovo Albanians are growing impatient with negotiations |
The new draft is the UN's third attempt to seek support from Russia, which insists that Kosovo can only become independent with the consent of its ally, Serbia. | |
Moscow says the revised draft being drawn up in New York attempts to achieve independence for Kosovo through the back door. | Moscow says the revised draft being drawn up in New York attempts to achieve independence for Kosovo through the back door. |
Kosovo's ethnic Albanians want independence from Serbia, but the minority Serbs - and the government in Belgrade - oppose that. | |
The province has been under UN administration since 1999, following the withdrawal of Serbian forces. Their pull-out came after Nato air raids, launched to halt a violent Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanians, some of whom had taken up arms. | |
No date has been set for voting on the new draft, which is likely to be presented to the UN Security Council despite Moscow's objections. | No date has been set for voting on the new draft, which is likely to be presented to the UN Security Council despite Moscow's objections. |
Russia is one of five permanent members of the Council, who have the right to veto resolutions. |