Russia has circulated a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council condemning aggression against Yugoslavia and calling for the end of hostilities.
The US, Britain and France are expected to veto the resolution when it comes to a vote in the Council, probably today. Russia and China, the other two permanent members of the Council, have condemned the NATO action.
Canada, the Netherlands and Germany, which are non-permanent members of the Council, would also oppose the resolution.
The Secretary-General of the UN, Mr Kofi Annan, has found himself in a difficult position following the NATO strikes. In a statement on Wednesday he implicitly rebuked the NATO countries for acting without explicit UN approval but only after he criticised the Yugoslav authorities for their "rejection of a political settlement which would have halted the bloodshed in Kosovo and secured an equitable peace for the population there".
The US insists that the existing UN resolutions on Kosovo give a clear indication of the Security Council's opinion even if an explicit endorsement of force is lacking.