Letter: Inertia on Kosovo
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Nato's belated decision to call for action against Slobodan Milosevic ("UN summit to decide on Kosovo air strikes", 1 October) does little to negate the inertia that has characterised its stance on Kosovo. The serial human rights abuses of the past year have been greeted with muted protestations, but still the suffering of innocence endures.
Nato's position is underpinned by one overwhelming factor - a wish to placate Russia and maintain the regional status quo. Any hawkish manoeuvres would almost certainly have led to a Russian withdrawal from the "partnership for peace", driving it further away from rapprochement with the West.
Given the delicate regional balance of Eastern Europe (not to mention Central Asia and the Middle East), such a breakdown could have catastrophic repercussions for the post-Cold War world.
PAUL BURTON
Thornton Heath, Surrey
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments