(Recasts with draft resolution) By Patrick Worsnip UNITED NATIONS, May 10 (Reuters) - The United States and Europeans intend to circulate a resolution that would grant independence to Kosovo at the U.N. Security Council on Friday, despite a fresh hint from Russia that it could veto the plan. U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said on Thursday he expected a draft text to go to the 15 council members urging implementation of a U.N. proposal giving the province effective independence from Serbia under European Union supervision. Khalilzad was speaking after his Russian counterpart, Vitaly Churkin, refused to rule out a veto of the plan, saying Moscow needed to keep all options open on a proposal strongly opposed by its allies in Belgrade. Following a Security Council debate on Kosovo, Churkin also spoke of irreconcilable differences between Western and Russian ideas for next steps on the mainly ethnic Albanian province. But Churkin made no specific veto threat and despite his uncompromising tone, Western envoys suggested Russia was being more flexible in closed-door negotiations on a resolution to follow up the plan proposed by U.N. mediator Martti Ahtisaari. Khalilzad, who earlier said he believed a majority of council members supported the plan, told a group of reporters the issue was whether Russia would abstain or veto. "At this point they have not indicated whether they have made up their mind on this," he said. "They have a real problem with the reference to independence." The draft resolution is based on a U.S.-European working paper of 13 points, distributed last week. But a rival Russian list says conditions for minority Serbs in Kosovo are not yet in place and negotiations should continue. Kosovo has been under U.N. administration since 1999, when NATO bombing drove out Serb forces who had killed 10,000 Albanian civilians in a two-year war with guerrillas. ALL OPTIONS "There are some points in those elements which clearly cannot be reconciled," Churkin said, referring to the two skeleton drafts. Asked whether Russia was considering a veto, he said: "This is certainly a threshold situation in terms of international law ... so ... it does require the need to use all options available in case strong views need to be protected." Churkin's statement was the latest from Russia to dangle the threat of a veto without any firm commitment to use it, a tactic Russian officials have hinted could strengthen their hand in the talks over a resolution. Following Thursday's debate in the Security Council, which heard a report by Belgian Ambassador Johan Verbeke on a council trip to Kosovo last month, Khalilzad said he judged that a majority of members supported Ahtisaari's plan. "I believe the votes are there for supporting the ... plan, assuming there is no Russian veto," he said, later adding about 11 were in favor. To pass, a resolution needs nine votes and no veto by the United States, Russia, Britain, France or China. In the debate, apart from Russia, China also called for continued negotiations. Panama proposed a compromise of adopting the plan after a six-month delay for further talks. Western diplomats said if that brought Russia round to the resolution, it might win backing in the council. Western countries say past Kosovo talks have shown Serbs and Albanians cannot agree and it is futile to pursue them. U.S. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said in Berlin on Wednesday Washington hoped for a vote this month. Khalilzad said no date had been set for a vote. (Added reporting by Evelyn Leopold)
