Serbs take on US over Kosovo as EU wavers

BELGRADE, Sep 9 (Reuters) Serbia told the United States at the weekend that its ''open threats'' to force the independence of Kosovo would wreck talks aimed at finding an agreed future for the breakaway province.

Ignoring appeals from a wavering European Union to tone down its own veiled threats of force over Kosovo, Serbia demanded that Washington explain why it was threatening to ''force independence through illegally''.

Serbia's foreign ministry asked for clarification after the State Department said Washington ''would recognise the independence of Kosovo if the Security Council did not reach a consensus''.

Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said in a letter to the United Nations that Serbia ''is faced with a direct threat by the United States that it will recognise the independence of Kosovo illegally''.

Backed by Russia to an extent the Western allies failed to foresee three months ago, an assertive Serbia is challenging the West's conviction that giving independence to Kosovo's 90 per cent Albanian majority is the only way to a peaceful solution.

Using Russian leverage, it has blocked a resolution in the UN Security Council. By playing up US President George W Bush's promise of independence with or without UN backing, it hopes to persuade hesitant EU member states not to support Washington.

Up to 10,000 civilians, overwhelmingly Albanians, were killed in 1998-99 as Serb forces battled Albanian separatist guerrillas, and 800,000 were driven out in a bid to ''ethnically cleanse'' the run-down province Serbs treasure as their ancient heartland.

In 1999, the then 15-nation EU overcame its internal divisions and backed NATO when it decided -- without a UN mandate -- to bomb Serbia into submission in order to force its troops out of Kosovo.

The bombing went on for 78 days.

EUROPE WAVERS Kosovo's two million Albanians say there is no chance of their agreeing to live under Serbian sovereignty once more, and Serbia has no plan to reintegrate them into Serb society.

NATO, which leads a force of 16,000 peacekeepers in Kosovo, expects violent unrest if the Albanian demand for self-determination is thwarted. Serbia and Russia say there must be no giving in to threats of extremism.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Portugal yesterday admitted differences on Kosovo among the 27 member states. Luis Amado of Portugal, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said avoiding an EU split was ''key to the credibility of Europe's foreign policy''.

Britain and France are among EU states ready to recognise Kosovo's independence. Germany's position is less clear. Spain, Hungary, Greece, Slovakia, Cyprus and Romania are reluctant and other governments are showing signs of ambivalence.

A ''troika'' of US, EU and Russian envoys is mediating in talks about Kosovo which started in Vienna on Aug. 30 and were due to continue in London and New York this month. Diplomats say prospects of a deal before they wind up on Dec 10 look extremely slim.

REUTERS PD PM1758