Western states are letting Kosovo use the threat of chaos to
blackmail them into giving the Serbian province independence,
Russia's foreign minister wrote in an article.
Sergei Lavrov also accused the West of pursuing a mistaken policy
of containing Russia, and said Russia wants to be viewed as an
equal trading partner.
"In the case of Kosovo, our partners are inclined to give in to
blackmail with (the threat of) violence and anarchy," Lavrov wrote
in an article posted on the ministry's Internet site
www.mid.ru.
Western diplomats have warned of growing tension in the Serbian
province, where ethnic Albanians are a majority, if it is not
granted independence.
Moscow has backed its ally Serbia by opposing independence for Kosovo.
Russia used its United Nations veto to block a Western-backed plan to give Kosovo independence.
A new round of talks has begun to find a compromise, but Kosovo
has said it may declare independence this year regardless of the
outcome.
Lavrov said NATO's expansion into eastern Europe, Washington's
missile shield plan, and a European Union increasingly mistrustful
of Moscow were "recreating a cordon sanitaire West of Russia's
borders."
"What can be the object of containing Russia now? A Russia, I would
note, which has turned its back on ideology, imperial and other
'great ideas' in favour of pragmatism and common sense?" Lavrov
wrote.
"Russia wants little, including simply to trade, something our
partners have been doing for centuries."
Lavrov said the Western policy-makers should abandon their practice
of treating Russia as both a partner and opponent.
"If someone intends to 'punish Russia for its bad behaviour', then
what basis is there for our partners to expect cooperation from us?
You have to choose between containment and cooperation."
Lavrov said despite differences between Moscow and Washington, the
strong personal ties between Russian President Vladimir Putin and
US President George W Bush were a "stabilising factor" and an
example of good teamwork.
The foreign ministry said Lavrov's essay was originally intended
for publication in the US journal Foreign Affairs.
Lavrov pulled the article in July, saying editors at the magazine
had made substantial editing changes that distorted the meaning of
the essay.
The magazine said it had made only minor changes for
clarity.
The article will now be published in the Moscow-based, Russian
language academic journal Russia in Global Affairs.
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