President Putin yesterday offered to host talks with the two antagonists in Yugoslavia's presidential election, but implicitly acknowledged last week's disputed first-round outcome and the need for a run-off.
Mr Putin's statement ended a week of speculation about whether Russia would back the Western view that Dr Vojislav Kostunica had beaten President Slobodan Milosevic outright by scoring more than 50 per cent.
Mr Kostunica said yesterday he had yet to respond to an offer from Mr Putin for talks with Mr Milosevic. Mr Kostunica earlier complained that Russia was being "too cautious" in helping resolve the crisis.
But he also criticised the US for introducing the issue of Mr Milosevic's indictment by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague into the electoral campaign, describing it as "unwise and an unjust political move".
Mr Putin referred to both men as candidates in the second round - an implicit recognition of the official first-round results.
A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry also appeared to recognise the first-round outcome, saying the results and the decision to call a run-off were lawful. But Mr Alexander Yakovenko also acknowledged that opposition parties had disputed the results, and said it was up to Yugoslavs to determine whether a recount was needed.
"The Russians know Kostunica got more than 50 per cent," one senior Western diplomat involved in discussions with Moscow said. "But they can't say it like that. They are naturally reserved on this question."
Mr Putin's statement, issued on his way to India, said Russia wanted to guard against the threat of "open confrontation in society fraught with unpredictable consequences" for stability in the Balkans and all of Europe.
In Athens, a Greek government spokesman said the Foreign Minister, Mr George Papandreou, was in talks with Russia and the current EU President, France, to draw up a plan to end the crisis.
In Paris the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, said Russia regards Dr Kostunica as the victor in the presidential elections. "We are in close touch with our Russian counterparts and it is evident that from their perspective Kostunica won the first round. They have said that," she said after talks with the French Foreign Minister, Mr Hubert Vedrine.
Mr Vedrine said there was no significant difference between Russia, the US and the EU on the election. President Jacques Chirac said France "recognises the victory" of Mr Kostunica and he pledged to lift sanctions against Yugoslavia "as soon as Milosevic leaves office".