Remember Kosovo?

From the BBC

The United States warned Russia against blocking a UN Security Council resolution on the future of Kosovo.

US Ambassador at the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, said in case of failure the process could lead the Security Council losing control of the process.

Earlier, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner cast doubt on Russia's cooperation over Kosovo.

Moscow has constantly opposed any move towards separation from Serbia of the ethnic-Albanian majority province.

Mr Khalilzad told reporters that Russia would be responsible 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.

Just 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.

Russia is unmoved

Earlier in the day, the Russian Ambassador at the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, had rejected the latest version of the text, even though a reference to an automatic path to "supervised independence" had been removed.

This 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.

Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority want independence from Serbia but its minority Serbs - and the government in Belgrade - oppose this.

The province has been under UN administration since 1999, when a Nato invasion drove out Serbian security forces accused of repressing 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.

Russia is one of five members of the council with the right to veto resolutions.