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| Europe | |
| Russia will not change stance on Kosovo | |
| 2007-06-11 | |
MOSCOW - Russia will not change its opposition to Kosovo gaining independence despite President George W. BushÂ’s wish to settle the provinceÂ’s future soon, a senior Russian official source told Reuters on Sunday. Bush said during a visit to Albania that the United Nations should grant independence quickly to the breakaway Serbian province and would not let Russia block the idea indefinitely.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica to discuss Kosovo on Saturday on the margins of an economic forum in St Petersburg. ‘The Russian president specifically asked him whether the Serbs still stood by their position (of opposition to Kosovo independence) and, after hearing a positive reply, said that Russia’s position will not change either,’ the official said. Russia’s firm position on Kosovo is motivated partly by a desire to support its historic ally Serbia and partly by a wish to flex its muscles against the West on the world stage, diplomats say. Moscow’s consistently firm response has led most observers here to conclude that if a Western-sponsored plan to grant Kosovo supervised independence is formally tabled at the United Nations Security Council, Russia will use its veto to block it. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #7 |
| Posted by: occasional observer 2007-06-11 20:23 |
| #6 Albania's culturally Muslim, but with a pretty secular government. They've sent a small force of troops to both Iraq and Afghanistan, cooperated in shutting down finance flows to jihadi groups and are enthusiastically pro-US due to our position on Kosovo. Maybe the 'Islamic world' doesn't give us credit but the Albanians do. And others (non-Muslim but choosing their alignments anew) in places like Slovakia watched and give us credit too. Free Kosovo from those in the Serbian power structure who are KGB accolytes, continue our growing and warm relationship with Bulgaria and what you get is a band that stretches nearly from the Black Sea to the Adriatic, north of a potentially Islamacist Turkey, that is pro-US. Bulgaria wants in on missile defense. Albania doesn't have the infrastructure to support it, but watch to see if we start doing joint training exercises and an Albanian or two ends up at one of our military academies. We've already graduated a couple Bulgarians who are now back in their militaries and climbing the ranks. |
| Posted by: occasional observer 2007-06-11 20:19 |
| #5 Further right wing distancing from President Bush. The Kosovo initiative is suicidal. http://foehammer.net/2007/06/bush-dismembers-serbia.html |
| Posted by: McZoid 2007-06-11 19:39 |
| #4 Even if you don't trust Putin, confronting Russia on Kosovo won't put a pro US President in Russia. What exactly would Americans get out of an independent (read: Albanian province) Kosovo? Another Bosnia terror base in Europe. |
| Posted by: McZoid 2007-06-11 15:56 |
| #3 I'm with Vlad. Clinton promised perpetual Serb sovereignty over the Muslim gutter entity of Kosovo. |
| Posted by: Pancho Gregum4996 2007-06-11 14:20 |
| #2 If the Russians want to be treated like an adult perhaps they should send some peacekeepers to the balkans. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2007-06-11 11:01 |
| #1 Good for them! |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-06-11 00:44 |