Lavrov displeased with Ahtisaari

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has expressed displeasure over comments made by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari in the regional newspaper Länsi-Savo. Ahtisaari said that Russia's opposition to his Kosovo plan would weaken its international standing. Lavrov, a man known for his calmly analytical approach to every issue, responded, "Such statements lower someone else's status, but not Russia's." That of course doesn't address Ahtisaari's argument at all, which was about the effect of Russia's actions, not the effect of Ahtisaari's own words. Alas, winning the argument doesn't get Ahtisaari or his Kosovo proposal very far.