Serb Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica on Saturday warned Kosovo Albanians against an "illegal" declaration of independence and called for talks on the territory's future to resume. He proposed new talks be held in Kosovo and Serbia instead of abroad.
Almost 18 months of mediated talks, mostly in Vienna but also Brussels and London, have failed to reach accord. "Serbia wants to negotiate and it's essential that a political and democratic settlement ... is found through talks," Kostunica told Serbian state news agency Tanjug.
Serbia was ready for negotiations "in any town in the province, and for the next round to be held in Belgrade." Kostunica said Kosovo Albanians wanting "an illegal declaration of independence" instead of talks were launching "a dangerous experiment with unpredictable consequences".
A report made available by diplomats at the UN on Friday said there was no compromise to be found between Serbia's offer of autonomy and the Albanian independence demand after the mediated talks, which hit a December 10 deadline.
The United States and almost all European Union member states support independence for the territory, seeing it as the best way to ensure stability in the Balkans.
But Russia, an ally of Serbia, asked again on Friday for talks to continue until the two sides reach an agreement. It has said it wants any final solution for Kosovo to go through the United Nations Security Council, where Russia has a veto.
"It is of the greatest importance that the Security Council support the proposal of Russia," Kostunica said. Serbia gives "its full support to this constructive Russian initiative which aims to avoid a great crisis."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday the United States was hindering the search for a solution, RIA news agency reported. "Unfortunately, the fixation of some Western capitals-above all Washington-with independence for Kosovo and that there is no alternative to such independence ... is now the main hindrance on the path to a negotiated settlement," RIA quoted him as saying.
ETHNIC CLEANSING: Nato bombed Serbia for 11 weeks in 1999 to drive Serb forces out of Kosovo and halt the killing and ethnic cleansing of Albanians in a two-year Serb counter-insurgency war.
The Security Council is due to discuss the mediators' report on December 19. But Washington and the major EU powers have indicated they are ready to recognise Kosovo without a new UN resolution, and the EU is preparing to deploy a mission to take over supervision of the territory from the UN Diplomats say Kosovo could declare independence in late January at the earliest, depending on the timing of a Serb presidential election expected between mid-January and March.
Nato ministers on Friday pledged to keep their 16,000-strong peace force in Kosovo at current strength, and make more troops available to deal with any outbreak of violence.
Analysts dismiss talk of war, but say low-level violence is to be expected. Nato fears that Serbs in the north, where they form the majority, could try to break away from an independent Kosovo, potentially sparking Albanian retaliation against isolated Serb enclaves elsewhere in the province.
An ugly mood is already developing. On Friday, Kosovo Serbs angry at Western backing of Kosovo's independence scuffled with Nato security officers during a village meeting with the province's UN overseer and top Nato commander.