Posted on 08/03/2007 6:48:25 AM PDT by kronos77
For the Russian administration the Kosovo imbroglio has developed into an important strategic weapon. Due to the indecision exhibited by Western powers in confirming Kosovo's final status, Moscow views Kosovo as a valuable boost for its regional and global ambitions. By effectively vetoing Kosovo's supervised independence under the Western-sponsored Ahtisaari plan and maintaining an indefinite status quo in the region, Russia raises its international stature in several ways.
First, by denying statehood for Kosovo, the Kremlin can claim Russia is a major defender of international legality by its insistence on working through the United Nations Security Council. Of course, Russia would not allow the UNSC to interfere in its own neighborhood; for example, by approving a U.N. mission in territories that Moscow covets in Moldova and Georgia, let alone in pro-independence Chechnya.
Russia exploits the hesitation of the Bush administration to bypass the U.N., as it did before launching the Iraqi war. The U.S. seeks to rebuild its alliances and does not want to be condemned again as a hegemonic unilateralist. Meanwhile, many European Union governments do not want to act outside the U.N. framework as this could discredit their own global influence.
Second, Russia is posing as a promoter of multilateralism, where the U.N. process can serve its interests and undercut those of the U.S. Multilateralism can be a cover for inaction as multilateral institutions such as the U.N. are not only slow and cumbersome in making decisions but operate according to the lowest common denominator where the resistance of one capital can deny the interests of the majority.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Ping!
Remarkable, the author of the article can write two pages on the subject and miss one (and I think the most salient) of Putin’s policy motivations: the reassumption of the role Russia played under the Tsars as protector of the Orthodox.
Than he would have to explain why Russia supports Christians and USA supports Muslims....
Ooooups.. “Ethnic Albanians”
I think Nebosja got it right in antiwar.com. He said Russia knows that this is the way the US wants to treat Russia as well so that is why this fight is so important to them.
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