Kosovo's parliament voted Sunday to establish independence from Serbia, the Associated Press reported yesterday.
Serbia and Russia immediately criticized the secession as illegal, while the United States and the European Union support the move.
Kosovo sidestepped the United Nations and appealed directly to the U.S. and the EU for recognition, which it expects to receive as early as this week.
Russia called an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council and warned that Serbia's territorial loss could "set a precedent for separatist groups worldwide," the AP reported.
The two Balkan countries share a bloody history, having both participated in a separatist war from 1998 to 1999 that claimed more than 10,000 lives.
Although the Kosovo population is comprised of six different ethnicities, most of its 2 million people are ethnic Albanian and secular Muslims. The majority of Serbia is Christian Orthodox, and Kosovo sees no reason to remain a single nation, according to the AP.
-CHRISTOPHER COTTRELL
