President Clinton is today in Brussels for talks at NATO headquarters following new Russian moves in Washington and at the UN to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict over Kosovo.
The president, whose European trip was planned last week, will then go on to Germany to meet refugees from Kosovo and visit American bases. There he will meet the three soldiers released last Sunday to Rev Jesse Jackson after 31 days in captivity in Yugoslavia.
Russia's special envoy to the Balkans, former prime minister, Mr Viktor Chernomyrdin, left Washington yesterday for a meeting with the UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, following what he called "new developments" during his discussions with Mr Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore. But he declined to give details.
Mr Chernomyrdin's arrival in New York was delayed because of an unscheduled second meeting with Vice-President Gore in Washington. The Russian envoy said after a 40-minute with Mr Annan that the UN was "determined to participate in settlement of the crisis" and that there was no other organisation which has the experience.
He said that it was possible he would visit Belgrade after his return to Moscow. It was vital to "keep up diplomacy until this conflict is resolved" but this would take "political will both in Belgrade and NATO".
In Washington, however, officials discouraged undue optimism as a result of Mr Chernomydin's visit and Mr Clinton's earlier statements about a possible "bombing pause" if President Slobodan Milosevic fulfilled certain conditions.
The White House spokesman, Mr Joe Lockhart, said yesterday "I can't point to any single issue or breakthrough but it's important we continue the discussions because of the role the Russians can play in this. I don't have any indications that there is anything new. They just want to continue discussions.
Meanwhile the US Senate voted 78 to 22 to shelve a resolution that would have authorised President Clinton to use "all necessary force" in the conflict. Most of the senators believe that such a resolution would send the wrong signal at a sensitive time when the air strikes appear to be succeeding and a diplomatic solution is also being sought.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, who has emerged as the most hawkish leader in the alliance, said NATO's prolonged air campaign would triumph over Mr Milosevic.
Mr Blair later pledged that Britain would greatly increase its intake of refugees from Kosovo. In London, the Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, said as many as a thousand a week could soon be arriving.
Christopher Stone, one of three US soldiers freed by Yugoslavia, left a thank-you note saying he had a lot of sympathy for Serbian people and was praying for peace, Serb media said yesterday.
"I have a lot of sympathies for the Serb people after this," Staff Sgt. Stone was quoted as saying in what state television said was a hand-written note he gave to guards as he was freed on Sunday.