As Russia took its Kosovo peace mission to Belgrade, Washington yesterday issued a stern warning to Moscow. The US Defence Secretary, Mr William Cohen, told Russia that there would be economic and political consequences to openly defying a planned EU oil embargo against Serbia. Mr Cohen said also that NATO commanders should have the option of using force in interdicting ships at sea if they were suspected of carrying oil to Yugoslavia.
Bulgarians meanwhile were stunned after a NATO missile intended for Serbia hit their capital, taking a roof off a house in the suburbs of Sofia. Mr Cohen apologised for the bombing, but could not explain the mistake.
It was a hectic day on the diplomatic front in Moscow, with talks involving a team of visiting officials including the United Nations Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, the Canadian Foreign Minister, Mr Lloyd Axworthy, and the Greek Foreign Minister, Mr George Papandreou. Today Russia's special envoy, Mr Viktor Chernomyrdin, arrives in Belgrade with clear instructions from President Yeltsin and a plea from Mr Annan to bring the peace process forward speedily.
Mr Chernomyrdin travels to Belgrade not only with "concrete proposals" and hints from the German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schroder, that a "pause" in bombing may be on the cards. The envoy also has a great deal of leverage over Yugoslavia, because of Russia's control over its energy supplies. Gazprom, the giant Russian company which has made Mr Chernomyrdin one of Europe's richest men, pumps millions of cubic metres of natural gas into Yugoslavia each day.
In Moscow yesterday President Slobodan Milosevic's brother and Yugoslavia's ambassador to Russia, Mr Boreslav Milosevic, appeared to reject proposals for an international military force in Kosovo, saying only civilian observers would be permitted.
However, Mr Chernomyrdin will be particularly encouraged by Mr Schroder's suggestion that a pause in the bombing could be possible. The Russian Foreign Minister, Mr Igor Ivanov, said work was in hand to hold a meeting of heads of departments in preparation for a special summit of the G-8 group.
NATO bombed the main transmitter of Serbian government-run RTS television near Belgrade late last night, interrupting transmission in the middle of the evening RTS news.
Early today in central Belgrade half-a-dozen loud explosions were heard. Aircraft had flown over the centre at very low altitude. Antiaircraft gunners did not open fire. Residents later said a building housing the main headquarters of the army and a police building in central Belgrade were hit.
The Yugoslav state news agency Tanjug said NATO fired missiles in the area of Kosovo's capital, Pristina, and hit a fuel dump.
Meanwhile in The Hague, the International Court of Justice said it would hear on May 10th and 11th an unprecedented Yugoslav suit against 10 NATO states aimed at halting the allied bombing.
Schroder says prospects of settlement closer, but bombing must continue; House denies Clinton NATO strike support: page 11
