WASHINGTON — Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence sets a dangerous precedent for other separatist groups around the world such as Palestinians, Basques and Northern Cypriots to bypass negotiations and set up their own states, a Kremlin spokesman said Wednesday.
“We cannot agree that Kosovo is a distinct case,” Dmitry Peskov said as the United States assured Serbia it wants to help integrate the eastern European country into Western institutions and repair relations roiled by recognition of Kosovo’s independence.
“We think that Serbia, if it can overcome the conflicts of the ’90s, has a very bright future,” Rosemary DiCarlo, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary for European affairs, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “But overcoming the ’90s, overcoming the recent past, means apprehension of war criminals, it means recognition that (former Serb leader Slobodan) Milosevic lost Kosovo.”
Kosovo has a predominantly Muslim population and is considered by many Serbs to be a foundation of their country and its culture. The Bush administration has consistently supported independence for Kosovo.
The move is in conflict with regional stability and Russia will continue to disagree “out of our concern for the future of international relations,” Peskov said at the Nixon Center, a Washington-based think tank.
At the same time, he said Russia has no immediate plans to try to undo Kosovo’s independence in the United Nations. “It is too complicated to act immediately,” he said.
