The status of Kosovo is within the jurisdiction of the United Nations Security Council, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday, and warned against the possibility that a unilateral proclamation of the independence of the southern Serbian province could lead to the "collapse of the European project."

Russia will agree that the question of Kosovo is a matter of the European Union EU, but only when all of the Balkans, including Serbia within its present borders, is integrated within the Union, Lavrov said in Geneva, Itar-Tass news agency reported.

"For the time being, Kosovo is still an international issue that remains within the authority of the UN Security Council," the Russian minister was adamant.

"The UN Security Council has universal jurisdiction and there can be no arbitrary approaches," Lavrov said.

"A unilateral proclamation of the independence of this province will inflict damage to the reputation of the UN Security Council and to its authority, and that should be clearly understood," Lavrov said.

"Any moving away on behalf of Europe from the principle of international legality would imply unpredictable consequences for the entire continent," he warned.

"Resolving the destinies if nations, proceeding exclusively from the motive of alleged solidarity or some other political purpose, would in essence mark a return to the dark times," the Russian foreign minister said.

"It will be sad if historians in the future point out that the unilateral proclamation of the independence of Kosovo marked the beginning of the downfall of the current European project," he said.

For its part, Russia has done everything possible on the issue of Kosovo, but it will not take part in the undermining of the legal foundations of modern Europe, in undermining the UN Charter, Lavrov said.

"Last year, the mediating troika comprising representatives of the EU, Russia and the United States of America, did not achieve poor results in the establishment of direct negotiations between Belgrade and Priština," he added.

"There were concrete proposals for the status and it would be wrong to stop that process artificially," the minister said.

Earlier today, the chief of Russian diplomacy was quoted as saying that a unilateral declaration of the province's independence by its ethnic Albanians would threaten the security of Europe itself.

Lavrov also repeated his country's position that Kosovo "cannot be treated as a unique case."

"A unilateral declaration of independence would threaten the bases of European security, it would threaten the foundations of the UN Charter," he told reporters during a conference dedicated to disarmament.

Lavrov went on to say that a large number of countries, including some in Europe, have said it is quite unavoidable for a unilateral declaration of independence to take place, and that they would support it.

"I see that many have not managed to grasp the most basic things, because what they are talking about is the breakup of the legal order in Europe," Lavrov noted.

He added that Kosovo cannot be treated as a special case and that there was an "absolute double standard" when it comes to explanations that "Kosovo is a unique case, and that it in no way influences the situation in other regions".

But Lavrov then wondered what will happen to the Serbs in Kosovo, since it has been argued that Serbs and Albanians cannot live in the same state.

"They are saying that Serbs and Albanians cannot live together, and that this is why Kosovo needs to be separated from Serbia, but there are Serbs living in Kosovo as well."

"If one were to accept this thesis, what happens to the Serbs in Kosovo? There are no answers to these questions. Absolutely, double standards," Lavrov said, and then described this as "unacceptable, and irresponsible".

Speaking about the overall situation in Serbia, he said that the country "has its political system, government bodies, which were formed in a democratic way, via free elections."

"Moscow supports Serbia's democratic leadership, and maintains regular contact," Lavrov explained.

According to him Russia is ready to solve the Kosovo status problem based on the conditions accepted by Priština and Belgrade.

"We will work up to the very last moment, doing everything in our power, to prevent this from occurring," he said, speaking about Kosovo's unilateral independence.

Reuters reported from New York that Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said Serbia was requesting a special meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday to discuss the issue of Kosovo.

"We are going to support it," Churkin said.

British and U.S. envoys said they "knew nothing about the request"

U.S. and EU officials have said they see no point in the council taking up Kosovo again since it has been hopelessly deadlocked on the issue for months – Russia opposes this view, the agency said.