Kosovo

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.”

Charles A. Kupchan, CFR’s top Europe expert, says with Kosovo on the cusp of announcing independence, he finds the continued Russian opposition “perplexing.”

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.

Recent talks in Vienna have revived speculation about the prospects for a near-term solution to the final status of Kosovo. Some experts believe an agreement on Kosovo’s independence could be on the horizon, though there are still myriad factors that could influence efforts to resolve the province’s status.