President Clinton has ruled out US military intervention in Yugoslavia's crisis but offered to lift economic sanctions as soon as President Milosevic goes.
US officials worked hard yesterday to encourage Russia to come out in favour of Dr Kostunica and ensure the removal of Mr Milosevic.
Mr Clinton reacted at various times yesterday to the fast-changing events in Belgrade. At the White House in the morning he called the Milosevic government a "hardcore dictatorship".
Asked if the US would intervene if Mr Milosevic ordered force against the Serb population, Mr Clinton replied: "I don't believe that it's an appropriate case for military intervention and I don't believe that the United States should say or do anything which would only strengthen Mr Milosevic's hand."
The President said "we support democracy and the will of the Serbian people." He said that: "The people of Serbia have made their opinion clear. They did it when they voted peacefully and quietly and now they're doing it in the streets because there's been an attempt to rob them of their vote.
"If the world community will just stand for freedom, stand for democracy, stand for the will of the people, I think that will prevail. It did all over Eastern Europe."
Later at Princeton University, Mr Clinton said it was his hope for the Serbs that "the hour is near when their voices will be heard and we can welcome them to democracy, to Europe, to the world community." When they do "we will move as quickly as possible to lift the sanctions and build the kind of responsible partnership that the people there deserve."
The two Presidential contenders, Vice-President Al Gore and Mr George Bush, both called yesterday for Mr Milosevic to heed the wishes of the Serb people and step down.