Tue, 6 Oct 1998 - As Russia hardens its position against threatened NATO air strikes against Serb forces in Kosovo, the United States Government is warning the likelihood of military action is increasing.
US President Bill Clinton has talked by phone with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is on an official visit to China.
Yesterday, Mr Clinton spoke with Russian President Boris Yeltsin and with US envoy Richard Holbrooke, who is making little headway in negotiations with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
Mr Clinton has made it clear NATO is ready to launch air strikes in Kosovo.
The White House says Mr Milosevic is still nowhere near complying with UN Security Council resolutions on Kosovo.
US Defence Secretary William Cohen says the international community may need to send ground troops into Kosovo but he is not keen to see US forces join such a contingent.
In a marked escalation of rhetoric, Russia's defence minister has warned of a new cold war and a severing of Russia-NATO ties if Yugoslavia is attacked.
President Yeltsin has continued telephone diplomacy with world leaders, trying to stave off NATO action.
Russia has also promised to use its veto in the United Nations Security Council, if any attempt is made to gain backing for military strikes.
The latter may, in part, be aimed at a domestic audience, on the eve of nationwide protests in Russia over its grim economic situation.
Russia is also said to be pressing the Yugoslav leadership to back down in Kosovo with Moscow in no position to alienate the west, as it clamours for new western financial aid.
'Criminal'
Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic has described the threatened air strikes against forces fighting ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo as a criminal act.
His statement came after talks in Belgrade with visiting US envoy Richard Holbrooke, who stressed to the Serbian leader that NATO is serious about using force.
Moscow's ambassador to the United Nations, Sergei Lavrof, has called for more talks, saying the situation has changed since the latest UN report on the fighting, issued at the weekend.
"The acuteness of the crisis has diminished considerably, no doubt about it," Mr Lavrof said.
"It diminished considerably since the time when the resolution of the Security Council was adopted, which described the situation as constituting a threat to regional stability.
"I'm sure that this threat is much, much lower now, if it does exist."
=A9 1998 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Updated: 7/10/98; 9:15:21 AM (AEST)
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