Clinton

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. President Bill Clinton on Tuesday ratcheted up the pressure on Yugoslavia over the Serbian-led crackdown in Kosovo, saying "NATO was prepared to act" to make Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic comply with a U.N. resolution on the Kosovo crisis.

"The stakes are high. The time is now to end the violence in Kosovo," Clinton said. He laid the blame primarily on Milosevic for the deaths of hundreds of people and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of others in Kosovo.

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Clinton again demanded that Milosevic live up to the U.N. resolution and declare an immediate cease-fire, withdraw Serbian security forces, allow unhindered access for humanitarian relief operations and begin "real negotiations" with Kosovo Albanians "to find a peaceful and permanent solution to their rightful demand for autonomy."

Clinton said that Richard Holbrooke, senior U.S. envoy for the Balkans, would reiterate in Tuesday's talks in Belgrade that Milosevic must comply with the U.N. demands, or face consequences.

In the Balkans, Holbrooke was due to meet Milosevic for a second round of talks. During Monday's talks, Milosevic remained defiant and told Holbrooke that the threats of NATO strikes against Yugoslavia were "a criminal act" that would provide "support for the Albanian villains, not the Albanian people."

Earlier Tuesday, Holbrooke had met ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova for discussions in Pristina, the regional capital of Kosovo. There was no official statement after the talks.

Ethnic Albanian leaders have been equally reluctant to start talks with Serbia, insisting that autonomy is no longer an option and demanding full independence, which the West has ruled out.

There was also no break Tuesday in the international diplomatic deadlock over what to do about Kosovo.

Russia on Tuesday maintained its diplomatic campaign to prevent the NATO action and was joined by China in a demand for a political solution rather than military intervention.

Russia's Interfax news agency said the Moscow government would use its veto in the U.N. Security Council to stop airstrikes.

Moscow believes NATO needs a further U.N. further resolution to provide a legal basis for any military action.

Correspondent Brent Sadler, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

"Kosovo: A Short History" by Noel Malcolm "Between Serb and Albanian: A History of Kosovo" by Miranda Vickers "Hearts Grown Brutal: Sagas of Sarajevo" by Roger Cohen "A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples" by Frederick Bernard Singleton "Unwinnable Wars: American Power and Ethnic Conflict" by David Callahan Click here for additional reading on Yugoslavia