In February 2007 United Nations envoy Martti Ahtisaari unveiled a plan to set Kosovo on a path to independence, an outcome immediately welcomed by Kosovo Albanians and rejected by Serbia. US President George Bush has come out in favour of Kosovan independence, but Russia threatened to veto any UN resolution that endorses the Ahtisaari plan. At the same time, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned the parties against any further delay in determining the future of Kosovo. He had wanted a UN Security Council vote back in June. Parliamentary elections in Kosovo in November saw the ethnic Albanian, former guerrilla leader Hasim Thaci win. Mr Thaci has said he will declare independence unilaterally in December once international mediation with the Serb minority ends.
