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Like [[Slovenia]], [[Croatia]], and [[Bosnia]], Albanian separatists in Kosovo tried to break off from Serbia in the 1990s.  NATO aggression culminated in the [[Kosovo War]], with both the United States and United Nations intervening.

Like [[Slovenia]], [[Croatia]], and [[Bosnia]], Albanian separatists in Kosovo tried to break off from Serbia in the 1990s.  NATO aggression culminated in the [[Kosovo War]], with both the United States and United Nations intervening.

In January 2008, the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. [[John Bolton]], former U.S. Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger and former Assistant Defense Secretary Peter Rodman warned in a joint statement that Western recognition of Kosovo independence would create "an avoidable confrontation with [[Russia]]" and "turn what is now a relatively small problem into a large one."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jan/31/warning-light-on-kosovo/|title=Warning light on Kosovo|publisher=[[The Washington Times]]|date=2008-01-31|accessdate=2008-08-29}}</ref> On 17 February 2008, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, former KLA commander Hashim Thaci, declared independence from Serbia.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/world/europe/18kosovo.html?ex=1360990800&en=579b01366cbc2ea5&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Kosovo Declares Its independence From Serbia]</ref>

In January 2008, the former U.S. Ambassador to the [[U.N.]] [[John Bolton]], former U.S. Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger and former Assistant Defense Secretary Peter Rodman warned in a joint statement that Western recognition of Kosovo independence would create "an avoidable confrontation with [[Russia]]" and "turn what is now a relatively small problem into a large one."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jan/31/warning-light-on-kosovo/|title=Warning light on Kosovo|publisher=[[The Washington Times]]|date=2008-01-31|accessdate=2008-08-29}}</ref> On 17 February 2008, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, former KLA commander Hashim Thaci, declared independence from Serbia.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/world/europe/18kosovo.html?ex=1360990800&en=579b01366cbc2ea5&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Kosovo Declares Its independence From Serbia]</ref>

U.S. President [[George W Bush]] announced that he would disregard the 1999 peace agreement and support an independent Kosovo protected by NATO. Russia and Serbia condemned this [[unilateral]] action. Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] described the recognition of Kosovo independence by the United States as "a terrible precedent which will de facto blow apart the whole system of [[international relations]] developed not over decades but over centuries."

U.S. President [[George W Bush]] announced that he would disregard the 1999 peace agreement and support an independent Kosovo protected by NATO. Russia and Serbia condemned this [[unilateral]] action. Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] described the recognition of Kosovo independence by the United States as "a terrible precedent which will de facto blow apart the whole system of [[international relations]] developed not over decades but over centuries."