Moscow: President Vladimir Putin has issued a sharp warning to the West about the consequences of recognising Kosovo s independence, saying the decision would "come back to knock them on the head."

The comments, made during an informal meeting of leaders from ex-Soviet republics yesterday, were the strongest by the Russian leader since Sunday when Kosovo made its declaration of independence from Serbia.

They followed statements made earlier yesterday by Russia s envoy to NATO, who warned the alliance against overstepping its mandate in Kosovo and said Moscow might be forced to use "brute military force" to maintain respect on the world scene.

Putin used the meeting of presidents from the Commonwealth of Independent States - a loose, Russian dominated organization of former Soviet states - to harshly lambast Western nations that have recognised Kosovo s independence. Among them are the United States, Britain, Germany and France.

"The Kosovo precedent is a terrifying precedent. It in essence is breaking open the entire system of international relations that have prevailed not just for decades but for centuries. And it without a doubt will bring on itself an entire chain of unforeseen consequences," he said in televised comments.

Those who have recognised Kosovo "are miscalculating what they are doing. In the end, this is a stick with two ends and that other end will come back to knock them on the head someday," he said.

Moscow has heatedly protested the Kosovo declaration, which has sparked violent protests in Serbia and international disagreement over whether to recognise the fledgling nation.

Source : PTI