Posted on 02/23/2008 2:00:25 AM PST by kronos77
Russia's ambassador to Nato, Dmitry Rogozin, has warned that Russia could use military force if the Kosovo independence dispute escalates.
"If the EU develops a unified position or if Nato exceeds its mandate set by the UN, then these organisations will be in conflict with the UN," he said.
In that case Russia would "proceed on the basis that in order to be respected we need to use brute force", he said.
Many EU members have recognised Kosovo, but several oppose recognition.
Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, backs Serbia, which has condemned the independence declaration issued by the Kosovo parliament on 17 February.
On Tuesday members of the Serb minority in Kosovo attacked two border posts staffed by UN personnel and Kosovo police.
The violence led the Nato troops in Kosovo - known as K-For - to reinforce the border with Serbia.
Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanians are following a plan drawn up by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari for "supervised independence", which was rejected by Serbia.
Russian media outcry
The EU will soon deploy 2,000 officials to strengthen law and order in Kosovo, which has a population of about two million. Russia argues that the mission has no legal basis.
There has been a furious reaction in some Russian media to Kosovo's declaration of independence.
A commentary in the Vesti Plus analytical programme, on state-run television, called the assassinated former Serbian Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic, a Western puppet who had "received a well-deserved bullet".
It said Djindjic had sold national heroes to the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague.
The programme concluded that Serbia - and not only Serbia - must now decide whether to acquiesce in what has happened, or resist.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
BTW, I've been a conservative for decades, but now I'm serious asking myself, "Was the war in the ME really trading blood for oil?", as Mr. Bush's critics claimed. Were we conservatives had by that man?
What has that got to do with it? Greece isn’t going to leave NATO membership. Take a look at how much Russian equipment is still operated by other NATO countries?
What are the Russians going to do - deny them spare parts for BMPs unless they allow them overflight rights?
Russia is hamstrung over this issue. They would have to deploy and be able to re-supply a substantial force. Russia is not going to lift a finger to assist Serbia militarly over Kosovo.
Bullcrap. The Serbs were already attacked/invaded by the US and NATO. Now Bush has decided to give a part of Serbia to Al Quada and the Islamofacsist Albanian terrorists. The Serbs should take back what is rightfully theirs.
pleni, dont go their with me on this, I've been there and seen there. You go talk with your albanian buds, ask for their Serbian citizenship papers.
Here in the US, we also have "papers" but in difft form. SocSecCard, Driv Licence etc...you need documents to obtain them..i.e "papers".
MaBell I don’t have any Albanian “buds”.
So all those dead bodies were just an unhappy coincidink?
As far as I know the Kosovans got all their papers taken from them by the Serb “police”. Don’t be surprised when every man and his wife now claim to be legal. The Serb police made the problem, so now you can;t tell the difference.
Does self determination=appeasement?
I’m English, if you were you would understand the point.
“Does self determination=appeasement?”
Does something tantamount to invasion and ethnic cleansing equate to “self-determination”?
“I’m English, if you were you would understand the point.”
I’m not English. Much of “England” isn’t either, since you people refused to listen to Powell and have no confidence in your own culture anymore.
The reason the Russians were unable to bring in supplies in 1999 is that Romania and Bulgaria closed their airspace. Plus, Yeltsin was a weak leader.
Now, that situation doesn’t look as likely. Romania and Bulgaria are both against the Kosovo independance movement, and are siding with Russia on this. Furthermore, Greece is also totally against this.
All of these countries want to have good relations with the U.S., but they also totally identify with Serbia on this and have Muslim-saturated regions theirselves. A terrible situation to find yourself in.
“tantamount to”=you’re straying from the acual facts.
I think the people did hear Powell, the leading politicians didn’t.
““tantamount to”=you’re straying from the acual facts.”
It was an invasion. It just took longer than a day.
You do know that Judas Priest wrote "Enforcing the Law" on behalf of the Serb enforcement of their Law, right?
I fully understand, but such countries as Romania and Bulgaria also have a long memory in regards to Russia. I feel that there is no way that they would throw their NATO membership away so freely. They have too much to lose.
Hot air, bluff and bluster by a Russian government completely hamstrung over the issue. Kosovo might ultimately become partioned, but no US adminsistration is going to reverse its decision on Kosovo independence.
“How are they going to get all the kit into Serbia or even Kosovo. Take a look at a map!”
Ever hear of aircraft? Ever hear of ships? (If Russia attacked Kosovo it would go through Albania, since Albania is Kosovo’s sponsor and is on the Adriatic Sea. Granted, Albania is mountainous as hell, but moutains can be crossed [see: Hannibal]). But, more likely, Serbia would welcome Russian troops into its territory, and launching an attack against Kosovo from Serbia is a straight shot.
The dumbest thing the state dept has ever done is create a country named kosovo. It’s a prototype for a western sanctioned islamic terrorist state. The Russians don’t want more islam spread nearby. Is the state dept so rotten with Clintonistas that they love don’t know how bad they look?
Romania is the home of memories of painful islamic hegemony by the Turks. Creating another islamic state is an anathema to people who have fought islam tooth and nail for a thousand years. Why is our state dept so stupid and why is Condaleeza Rice bamboozled by the panda and jihad hugging Clintonista leftovers that Bush was too nice to fire?
“The problems arose when the albs came into Kosovo courtesy of Tito inviting them in, unfortunately.”
I didn’t know that. Why did he do it?
You are living in a dream world. All Russian vessels leaving the Black Sea are controlled and monitored by Turkey. Movements of Russian Navy vessels are agreed by treaty. Russia would have to take on Turkey, and hence NATO, as Turkey would close the access to the Med. Overflights are the same problem for the Russians.
Albania is also preparing for NATO membership and has established argeements with NATO on defense. Russia is not going to invade Albania and risk a confrontaion with NATO.
http://www.nato.int/issues/nato_albania/index.html
This is why Russia is hamstrung on any active military response to the situation. Any military action is going to drag Russia and NATO into conflict. Russia is hamstrung and will not attack NATO over this issue.
He welcomed the albs with no questions asked and provided them with land. I wish I knew his thinking to be honest.
There are other ways, Prepositioning equipment for the Serbs to be trained on the latest weaponry with Russian Advisors etc... They don’t have to send in units, only advisors with cargo, standard trade.
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