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Russia, U.S. divided over fate of Kosovo

By Washington Post
Published December 8, 2007

UNITED NATIONS - Mediators from the United States, Russia and the European Union failed Friday to agree on Kosovo's future, setting the stage for a drive by the Western powers to support a declaration of independence by the predominantly ethnic Albanian province.

The so-called troika concluded that Serbia and the Kosovar leadership "were unable to reach agreement" after four months of talks, according to the report the group presented to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon. "Neither party was able to cede its position on the fundamental question of sovereignty over Kosovo."

The stalemate leaves Russia and the United States divided over Kosovo's fate. Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said they should continue to negotiate, and Russian officials warned it would be reckless for Kosovo to declare independence.

But U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that talks had been exhausted and suggested the international community would have to accept Kosovo's drive for independence.

The military alliance vowed Friday to maintain a military presence in Kosovo even if it declares independence.

Kosovo has been governed by a U.N. administrator since 1999, when U.S. and European forces drove out more than 40,000 Yugoslav troops after a bloody military operation that forced more than 600,000 ethnic Albanians into exile.

[Last modified December 8, 2007, 01:36:43]