Political land mines loom beyond Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia.

A UN envoy is proposing phased independence for Kosovo, nearly eight years after Belgrade’s dominion over the province ended.

Nationalists won Serbia’s general elections but may not have pulled in enough votes to form a government. Kosovo's final status and the stability of a beleaguered corner of southeastern Europe remain at stake.

A divided Montenegro voted Sunday to separate from Serbia. The referendum could open a final chapter in the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia.

A referendum on Montenegro's independence could redraw national boundaries in the Balkans. It could also strain tensions in an already volatile region.

Today's arrest of Radko Mladic, accused mastermind of the slaughter at Srebrenica, will help clear the way for Serbia's accession to the European Union and is a step forward for the region, says CFR's Charles Kupchan.

Interview: CFR's Charles A. Kupchan says recognizing Kosovo as independent is the best pragmatic solution from a list of bad options.

Washington’s representative to talks on Kosovo, Frank G. Wisner, says Serbia will never recognize an independent Kosovo and that Russia’s role has been “unbelievably regrettable.”

Richard C. Holbrooke, the architect of the Dayton Accords that ended the Bosnia war, says Russia’s uncooperative attitude in Kosovo combined with western inaction could spark renewed conflict.

A top U.S. State Department official on Balkan policy says Serbia must begin participating in final talks over the conditional independence of Kosovo or face increased isolation from Europe.

Richard Holbrooke writes in the Financial Times that although a Milosevic verdict was denied, justice was not.

Four speakers discuss the consequences of an independent Kosovo.

CFR Senior Fellow Charles Kupchan discusses implications of Kosovo's anticipated declaration of independence despite Russia's opposition.