“Kosovo cannot be seen as a precedent for any other situation in the world today,” Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. Secretary of State, said in a statement on February 18.

“The unusual combination of factors found in the Kosovo situation -- including the context of Yugoslavia's breakup, the history of ethnic cleansing and crimes against civilians in Kosovo, and the extended period of UN administration – are not found elsewhere and therefore make Kosovo a special case,” she said.

The U.S. embassy in Tbilisi has issued a statement, which reads: “In the wake of these latest developments in Kosovo, we call on all members of the international community to avoid any public statements that could undermine the chances for peaceful, negotiated settlements of the Abkhazia and South Ossetia conflicts.  Any attempt to resolve these conflicts other than through a negotiated compromise risks undermining peace and stability throughout the Caucasus.  Instead, we urge all states to reaffirm their support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, consistent with the repeated resolutions of the U.N. Security Council.”

Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers said at a meeting in Brussels on February 18: “The [External Relations] Council reiterates the EU's adherence to the principles of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, inter alia the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and all UN Security Council resolutions… Kosovo constitutes a sui generis case which does not call into question these principles and resolutions.”