Without Russia, Serbia would be forced to recognise the independence of Kosovo. That's according to the Serb minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samardzic, who is in Moscow to discuss the status of the breakaway province.
Russia is a member of the “troika” that includes the U.S. and the EU, set up to help find a solution to the problem. Russia believes a decision must be made between the two sides – Belgrade and Pristina – and should not include the UN-sponsored Ahtisaari plan, which suggests granting limited independence to Kosovo. This proposal was rejected by Belgrade and has been repeatedly criticised as unfair by Russia.