Russia's Kosovo veto stuns U.S. envoy
UPI - December 5, 2006 Tuesday 12:32 PM EST

BELGRADE, Serbia, Dec. 5 - A U.S. envoy said Tuesday he is surprised at a Russian ambassador's claim in Belgrade that Moscow could veto a decision on Serbia's Kosovo status.

U.S. Undersecretary Nicholas Burns told reporters in Brussels he cannot believe Russia is threatening a veto at the U.N. Security Council even before a proposal is announced for the future status of Serbia's predominantly ethnic-Albanian Kosovo province, Belgrade media reported Tuesday.

Burns said Washington wants the Security Council to adopt a solution on Kosovo by early March.

Burns was commenting on Russian Ambassador Alexander Alexiev's statement in Belgrade Monday claiming Moscow will veto a decision on Kosovo unless it is acceptable to both the Serbian government and the leaders of Kosovo ethnic-Albanians in Pristina, the Serbian B92 radio-television said.

Martti Ahtisaari, chief U.N. Kosovo envoy, is to announce his proposal on the Kosovo status soon after Serbian parliamentary elections Jan. 21. Ahtisaari has led U.N. talks between Belgrade and Pristina leaders on who will govern Kosovo once U.N. administrators and NATO troops leave the province.

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