Europe's governments have agreed to disagree over an independent Kosovo.
EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels fell short of formal joint recognition of Kosovo's new unilaterally-declared status.
Only national authorities can declare official recognition of any new state — but intense efforts went on all day to sink deep differences and to produce a unified stand over the final chapter of the break up of the former federalist Yugoslavia.
British foreign secretary David Miliband made clear that London had no hesitation delivering official recognition to Kosovo. France, Denmark, Italy, Germany and Sweden also made clear they would endorse Kosovo's new status.
Ireland is also expected to formally recognise Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia yesterday. Kosovo is the sixth state to be carved from Serb-dominated former Yugoslavia.
But for a handful of countries recognition was out of the question. The problem for Spain, Romania, Slovakia, Cyprus and Greece is that they fear their recognition for Kosovo would trigger separatist groups in each of their countries to demand the same.
It was a rare case of some EU member states agreeing with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has vehemently declared hostility towards Kosovan independence because of similar separatist fears.
US President George W. Bush acknowledged today that the people of Kosovo are independent though he stopped short of formal recognition of the territory's independence.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana urged restraint after some Serbian nationalist protesters stoned Western embassies in Belgrade in anger at yesterday's declaration.
This afternoon's statement from EU foreign ministers made clear that it was up to each individual EU government to decide on the recognition of a new Kosovan state at national level.
The issue was seen as a major challenge of EU foreign policy credibility — a sensitive development which now strains EU relations with Serbia which has declared that Kosovan separatists as acting illegally.
The EU is on the brink of agreeing a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia — a prelude to opening preliminary talks on eventual Serbian membership of the EU.
But the row over Kosovo may set back the plan, while EU failure to formally recognise Kosovo denies the separatists a crucial part of the international support they are seeking.