"U.S. position on Kosovo still unclear"

Washington-based political analyst Obrad Kesic feels that the U.S. official position on Kosovo is still unclear. Kesic said however, speaking to B92’s Poligraf last night, that there were "certain indicators regarding the U.S.’s wishes." "U.S. position on Kosovo still unclear" He said that recognition of Kosovo independence without a UN Security Council resolution would directly jeopardize other more vital American interests, so that ultimately they would probably go along with whatever the EU decided. “The U.S. have entered a very tight position, though they have already given indicators as to how they might extract themselves from it. The main one is what they’ve been saying the whole time – that they will respect Europe’s decision,“ said the analyst. “Because Europe will ultimately have to assume responsibility for the implementation and preservation of peace in Kosovo,“ concluded Kesic. Also Tuesday, Germany's leading weekly Der Spiegel in its online edition evaluated that the West's recognition of a possible unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence would have "immense consequences on stability of the region," and that it would be best if the Serbs, "after some protest," simply gave in and agreed to a secession of a part of the country's territory. In return, Der Spiegel recommends, the European Union could put "on ice" the request for Serbia's transfer of the rest of war crimes indictees, and Belgrade and Brussels could start serious negotiations on Serbia's full integration in the European Union. "A number of Western diplomats, including German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, hope for such developments," claims the weekly, evaluating that any other scenario would be "unpleasant", primarily for Germany, which is "the main European player in the Balkans." However, Belgrade will hardly voluntarily accept to a secession of its southern province because Serbia today appears to be self-confident, especially since it is backed by Russia, Deer Spiegel concluded.

"U.S. position on Kosovo still unclear"

He said that recognition of Kosovo independence without a UN Security Council resolution would directly jeopardize other more vital American interests, so that ultimately they would probably go along with whatever the EU decided.

“The U.S. have entered a very tight position, though they have already given indicators as to how they might extract themselves from it. The main one is what they’ve been saying the whole time – that they will respect Europe’s decision,“ said the analyst.

“Because Europe will ultimately have to assume responsibility for the implementation and preservation of peace in Kosovo,“ concluded Kesić.

Also Tuesday, Germany's leading weekly Der Spiegel in its online edition evaluated that the West's recognition of a possible unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence would have "immense consequences on stability of the region," and that it would be best if the Serbs, "after some protest," simply gave in and agreed to a secession of a part of the country's territory.

In return, Der Spiegel recommends, the European Union could put "on ice" the request for Serbia's transfer of the rest of war crimes indictees, and Belgrade and Brussels could start serious negotiations on Serbia's full integration in the European Union.

"A number of Western diplomats, including German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, hope for such developments," claims the weekly, evaluating that any other scenario would be "unpleasant", primarily for Germany, which is "the main European player in the Balkans."

However, Belgrade will hardly voluntarily accept to a secession of its southern province because Serbia today appears to be self-confident, especially since it is backed by Russia, Deer Spiegel concluded.