The Russian President, Boris Yeltsin, has warned against any outside military intervention to resolve the conflict in Kosovo.

Speaking in Bonn after talks with Chancellor Kohl, Mr Yeltsin said such military intervention -- which is under consideration by member states of the NATO alliance -- would destabilise the Balkans with unpredictable consequences for the whole of Europe.

But he promised to use his influence with the Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic, to help achieve a diplomatic solution.

Yesterday, the European Union and the United States tightened economic sanctions against Serbia because of its military campaign against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

On tackling Russia's financial difficulties -- a major theme of his talks in Germany -- President Yeltsin said it was the personal support of Chancellor Kohl that mattered.

As long as he had that, he said, foreign investors wouldn't leave Russia.