UN SECURITY COUNCIL ISSUES STATEMENT ON KOSOVO.

The UN Security Council yesterday strongly condemned the recent massacres of civilians in Kosovo and called on Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to punish those responsible for the bloodshed. But the statement did not carry the weight of a UN Security Council resolution. The statement also contained no warning of any possible new punitive measures that might be leveled against Belgrade, nor did it specifically identify Serb security forces as the agents responsible for the massacres. The weakening of the Council statement was presumably at least partly the work of Russia, which has been a steadfast backer of Milosevic, and which reportedly wanted more information on the massacres before blaming Serb forces for them.

Among permanent Security Council members, Russia and China have remained most adamantly opposed to any use of NATO military power to stop the bloodshed in Kosovo. France has said that the use of NATO military force depends on authorization by the UN Security Council. The United States, in contrast, has argued that previous resolutions provide sufficient legal ground for NATO action in Yugoslavia, and that no subsequent UN resolutions are needed (AP, Reuters, October 1). Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vladimir Rakhmanin yesterday restated Moscow’s position on the issue. He charged that NATO military intervention in Yugoslavia without UN authorization would “seriously aggravate the situation” in the Balkans and would also deal a blow to “the entire system of international relations” (Russian agencies, October 1).

MASLYUKOV’S GRAND PLAN ON THE ECONOMIC CRISIS.