UARY - JUNE 2000 11 and Russia

The contemporary international relations still include Russia as one of the key actors in the Balkans politics. The relations between Russia and Yugoslavia were marked with an outright denouncement of Slobodan Milosevic and his regime, which was also reflected in Russian s attitude toward NATO intervention in Kosovo. However, Russian politics is not unanimous vis-a-vis Yugoslavia-on the one hand it is still popular to use nationalist slogans for pre-electoral purposes and to uphold an aggressive foreign policy, while on the other hand there is growing awareness that the political situation in Serbia should be changed. The first meetings between Russian politicians and representatives of the Serbian opposition marked the change in Russian policy toward Milosevic. Hence Russia has several options first of which is to join forces with the international community. If it wishes to assert itself in Serbia, Yugoslavia and the Balkans, Russia can only act as mediator, by taking part in peace activities in consultation with other factors in the region.