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UN fails to break Kosovo impasse UN fails to break Kosovo impasse
(20 minutes later)
The US and EU have said the potential for further negotiations over the future of Kosovo has been exhausted.The US and EU have said the potential for further negotiations over the future of Kosovo has been exhausted.
A joint statement made after a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York said "negotiations in this or any other format would not make a difference". In a statement after talks at the UN Security Council failed to break the impasse, they said the EU would take the lead in implementing a settlement.
Serbia, and its traditional ally, Russia, said they wanted further talks with the Kosovo Albanians. Backed by the US and EU members, the Kosovo Albanians are expected to declare independence from Serbia.
Backed by the US and EU members, the breakaway province is expected to declare independence from Serbia. Serbia, and its ally in the council, Russia, said this would be illegal - and urged more talks.
Following a closed debate described as tense, in which the Security Council heard from Serbia's prime minister and Kosovo's president, representatives from the US and EU stood together as a joint statement was read out. Last week, the EU said it was prepared to send 1,800 police officers and administrators to Kosovo.
Legal dispute looms
Following a closed debate described as tense, in which the Security Council heard from the Serbian prime minister and Kosovo's president, representatives from the EU and US stood together as a joint statement was read out.
"It's clear in our view that more negotiations in this or any other format will not make a difference," the statement said."It's clear in our view that more negotiations in this or any other format will not make a difference," the statement said.
Any move towards unilateral independence would clearly be outside the limits of international law Vitaly ChurkinRussian representative to the UN
"The potential for a negotiated solution is now exhausted.""The potential for a negotiated solution is now exhausted."
But the Russian representative, Vitaly Churkin, said there was still room for negotiation. They said the EU "stands ready to play a leading role in implementing a settlement defining Kosovo's future status".
The statement drew a sharp reaction from Russia.
Its representative at the UN, Vitaly Churkin, insisted there was still room for negotiation.
"Any move towards unilateral independence would clearly be outside the limits of international law," he told reporters after the meeting."Any move towards unilateral independence would clearly be outside the limits of international law," he told reporters after the meeting.
But both the US and UK envoys said Security Council resolution 1244 allowed for the implementation of former UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari's plan for "supervised independence" for Kosovo.
"We would have preferred to do that through the Security Council, but we are entirely confident that resolution 1244 provides a sufficient legal base to move forward to a final settlement and to establish the necessary authorities needed to achieve that," said the UK's permanent representative, Sir John Sawers.