Speaking at a news conference following a foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of Eight countries in Germany, Condoleezza Rice said the Kosovo plan prepared by UN envoy Marti Ahtisaari, which would eventually grant Kosovo independence, was a good foundation for tackling problems facing the Albanian-dominated Balkan province.
Kosovo will definitely cease to be part of Serbia, she said adding that the Kosovo conflict remained the last problem of the Balkans.
Serbia is strongly opposed to independence for the province, but the United States and the European Union have expressed support for its sovereignty.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the solution should be based on a compromise between the parties.
"The West insists on recognizing Kosovo's independence as soon as possible, but we believe that any crisis can be resolved on the basis of a compromise between the sides," Sergei Lavrov said. "I still see no chances of rapprochement [on the issue]."
He said Russia's position was that talks should continue and compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 should be ensured.
Adopted in 1999, Resolution 1244 determined to resolve the grave humanitarian situation in Kosovo and to provide for the safe and free return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes, a requirement still far from being fulfilled.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said there were no deadlines for resolving Kosovo's status, urging for a cooperative solution to be found.
Kosovo, which has a population of two million, has been a UN protectorate since NATO's 78-day bombing campaign against the former Yugoslavia ended a war between Serb forces and Muslim Albanian separatists in 1999.
While the Albanians have since demanded full independence, the sizeable Orthodox Serb minority has complained that their lives and holy places would be at risk under the proposed setup.
Russia is a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, but Lavrov said he did not expect a veto would be necessary for the UN Security Council resolution on Kosovo.
"I hope it will not be necessary, and that our partners will support our reasons," Sergei Lavrov said.
He warned against making hasty decisions on such a sensitive issue.
