Russia has criticised the way the Nato-led peace-keeping force in Kosovo is carrying out its task and says it may withdraw its own troops from the operation if things deteriorate further.

Senior officials from the foreign and defence ministries Boris Mayorskiy and Leonid Ivachov said the Nato-led force had failed to stop the violence in Kosovo and they accused Nato of seeking to establish its own order in the Balkans.

They emphasised, though, that the situation had not yet reached the stage where Russia's involvement with K-For became unacceptable.

The Russians say the situation will be discussed by the Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev when he meets his American counterpart William Cohen later this year. Earlier this week, Russia accused Nato and the West of turning a blind a eye to what it described as the ethnic cleansing of Serbs in Kosovo.