U.S. laying low on Yugoslavian election

In this story: Other countries wary of Russia's offer Next 3 days could determine Milosevic's fate RELATED STORIES, SITES

From CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States will take a low-key approach toward the elections in Yugoslavia out of fear that high-profile involvement could backfire, senior U.S. officials told CNN Monday.

Outside of continuing to call for Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to accept opposition candidate Vojislav Kostunica's claim that he rightfully won the September 24 presidential election, officials said they feared any U.S. action would feed anti-U.S./NATO sentiment in Yugoslavia, and give credence to President Milosevic's attempts to discredit the opposition by portraying them as recipients of U.S. support.

"We are trying to play it smart," said one U.S. official. "We don't want to play into Milosevic's hands and make him turn the election into a referendum against America."

Other countries wary of Russia's offer

Russia's offer to mediate the dispute, while appreciated by the United States, has sparked questions in the international community as to how productive Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts have been.

Several diplomats said that, in conversations with world leaders, Putin and Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov have made it clear that Russia acknowledges that Kostunica has won the election and wants Milosevic to step down.

"We have all been in very close touch with our Russian counterparts," said Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on Monday in Paris. "I think it is evident from their perspective that Kostunica won the first round. They have said that."

But while other U.S. officials and diplomats acknowledged the potentially productive role Russia could play, they complained that Putin "has not gone far enough" in publicly recognizing Kostunica as the winner of the election. Additionally, they acknowledged a common effort on the part of the United States and the European Union to get Russia to call on Milosevic to step down.

"The Russians have already moved a bit," said one Western diplomat. "But they have not gone far enough ... the official statement is missing. It would certainly be more encouraging if they would come closer to the U.S.-E.U. line."

But several U.S. officials and Balkans experts suggested Russia is waiting until its influence could be more effective.

"The Russians are being careful to take a slightly ambivalent stance," said one administration official. "It is a conscious ambiguity because, from their perspective, they cannot play an honest broker if they dovetail the U.S./NATO position and come out too strongly against Milosevic, when they have traditionally had a good working relationship with Serbia for many years."

"The Russians want to be an indispensable player in the Balkans," said Ivo Daalder, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "But they know they can only do that if they use their power wisely. They know that calling on Milosevic to cancel the second round is pointless, so they are holding fire until they can be more productive."

Next 3 days could determine Milosevic's fate

U.S. officials and Western diplomats were watching the strikes and protests scheduled throughout Yugoslavia for the next few days to see if they lead Milosevic's allies in the military and police to defect.

They predicted events during the next three days will determine whether Milosevic can ride out the protests.

Already, the military has said it would not move against the Serbian people, and several state media organizations expressed wariness Monday about accepting Milosevic's claims that a runoff is needed.

But U.S. officials said they feared the opposition would split in the face of Milosevic's refusal to accept the election results. While Kostunica has called for peaceful civil disobedience, followers of opposition campaign manager Zoran Djindjic are advocating a more confrontational approach, including blocking access to government buildings.

"The question now is, Who has more staying power?" asked one U.S. official. "Milosevic or the opposition?"

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