Kosovo Offensive: Russian anger after alliance ignores pleas

THE FIRST Nato bomb to crater Yugoslav soil will go down in history as the moment when Russia realised exactly how far it has fallen since it bestrode the world as a super-power counterbalancing American might.

The alliance refusal to listen to Moscow's pleas to spare its Slavic cousins marks a new low in Russia's ambivalent relationship with the United States. Russia, to its horror, finds itself cast not as an enemy but as a sponging lightweight.

Kosovo has turned Russian reservations about the West into concrete resentment and deep suspicion likely to influence policy for years.

Yesterday in Moscow outrage echoed across the political spectrum, moderated only by the humiliating recognition that Russia must turn again to the West for loans. After 11th hour calls to the US President Bill Clinton and Jacques Chirac of France, Boris Yeltsin appeared on national TV to appeal to Nato to stay its hand. He spoke ominously of the world facing "a war in Europe and possibly something greater".

The Russian Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov, hinted about arming the Serbs, saying a Nato attack could render the UN arms embargo void. Marshal Igor Sergeyev, the Defence Minister, talked of Yugoslavia as a "second Vietnam", and placed the armed forces on a "higher alert." From the ascendant Communists there were calls for Russian military assistance, from the nationalists blusters about restoring a Stalinist dictatorship so Russia should not be so humiliated again.

The mood is one of deep grievance. This week Mr Clinton was to meet the Russian Premier, Yevgeny Primakov, but the Premier's plane turned round in mid-Atlantic after he concluded Nato bombing was imminent.

Before, the American president had spoken of "the right kind" of relationship with the Russians, who could be "great partners". There is not much evidence he is willing to back his words with actions.

Now Washington mixes hardball with a strategy of ignoring Russia. Moscow's pro-tests over the Anglo-American bombing of Iraq fell on deaf ears. The US hectors Moscow over weapons technology transfers to Iran. The International Monetary Fund lectures them on how to run a market economy, despite the fund helping to cause August's crash.

Russia's economy is now the size of Belgium's. But their 30,000 nuclear warheads and chemical weapons cannot be overlooked.

Bill Clinton said Russia's 40,000 nuclear scientists should do "peaceful, good things, not barter their services to other countries to cause trouble". That fine sentiment will not be furthered by Nato bombing Yugoslavia.