Strategies and Goals of Russian Diplomacy During the Kosovo Conflict (1998-1999)

Abstract

The article supports the thesis that despite Cold War-style oratory and criticism of NATO's intervention against Yugoslavia, Russian policy on Kosovo's armed conflict represented a realistic and pragmatic approach. It points that the Russian leadership was conscious of the domestic political and economic problems as well as the unfavourable post-Cold War shift of power and changes of the international system and knew that Russia could not reply to the unilateral NATO's air campaign against Yugoslavia. It argues that Moscow admittedly wanted to avoid NATO's intervention in the Balkans which inevitably undermined the international position of Russia, but despite some political gestures and claims about the traditional Russo-Serbian friendship had no direct geopolitical interests at the Kosovo conflict, did not believe the Milosevic's "truths" and actively participated at the high-level international peacemaking initiatives together with the West. It claims that Russia actually supported Western efforts aimed to stop the violence at the province and start political dialogue between Belgrade and the Kosovo Albanians about the autonomy of the province. It finally argues that Russian constructive approach "helped" the Alliance to end its war over Kosovo and stresses that peace proposals offered to Belgrade were collectively worked out and endorsed by the West and Russia.