Clinton: "Withdrawal of Serb forces will allow us to suspend the bombing ..."  ALSO: Going home? Refugees wait for word G-8 reaches consensus on draft Kosovo resolution  MESSAGE BOARD: Crisis in Kosovo  IN-DEPTH SPECIAL: Strike on Yugoslavia

June 8, 1999
Web posted at: 11:59 a.m. EDT (1559 GMT)

In this story: U.S.: 'verifiable withdrawal' mandatory Clinton calls Yeltsin; sending aide to Moscow RELATED STORIES, SITES

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A proposed U.N. resolution authorizing a peace force for Kosovo is a "step forward," but until all of NATO's demands are carried out -- including the withdrawal of Serb forces -- the bombing of Yugoslavia will continue, President Clinton said Tuesday.

Wording for the resolution was settled by foreign ministers of the top seven industrialized nations, plus Russia, at a meeting in Germany.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, representing the United States, called Clinton to tell him about the breakthrough.

The consensus reached by the Group of Eight ministers should pave the way for more talks between NATO and Yugoslav military leaders on the technical points surrounding the troop withdrawal. Formal talks broke off early Monday.

U.S.: 'Verifiable withdrawal' mandatory

Clinton said the key now was implementation of the peace deal.

"A verifiable withdrawal of Serb forces will allow us to suspend the bombing and go forward with the plan," he said at a White House arrival ceremony for visiting Hungarian President Arpad Goncz.

Clinton said the G-8 ministers had now "agreed to language of a United Nations Security Council resolution that will help us to realize these basic goals -- peace with security for the people of Kosovo and stability for the region as a whole."

"NATO is determined to bring the Kosovars (ethnic Albanians) home, to do so as an alliance, acting together, and in a way that ultimately can strengthen the relationship between Russia and the West," Clinton said.

Clinton calls Yeltsin; sending aide to Moscow

He spoke shortly after talking to Russian President Boris Yeltsin by telephone about continuing efforts aimed at ending NATO's air war against Yugoslavia, which began March 24.

While Russia, a non-NATO country, had previously opposed a peacekeeping force with NATO at its core, it agreed to compromise wording in the proposed U.N. resolution that calls for a halt in the bombing of Yugoslavia before the resolution is formally approved.

"The Russians are supporting it," Clinton said later, during a question and answer session with reporters inside the White House.

The U.S., however, insists there will be no halt in NATO's air campaign until Serb forces begin pulling out of Kosovo.

"When there is evidence that full withdrawal has begun, we will suspend the bombing and then monitor that for compliance," Clinton said.

In separate comments, Defense Secretary William Cohen reinforced the U.S. position. "It must be understood that there has to be initiation of withdrawal of forces on the part of the Serbs."

"In the event that there is any hesitation on the part of the Serbs, any delay on their part, that bombing would continue," Cohen said in Washington.

If the bombing were to stop before the Serbs began their pullout, then Security Council debate on the resolution could drag on, he said.

Clinton told Yeltsin that Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott was being sent to Moscow to Moscow to work out details of Russian participation in a Kosovo security force.

White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said Clinton and Yeltsin spoke for about 15 minutes and that Clinton thanked Yeltsin for the "constructive role" Russia has played in trying to bring about a peaceful settlement to the Yugoslav war.

Russia said on Tuesday it was ready to commit up to 10,000 troops to help enforce the peace deal, although not under NATO's command.

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