The United Nations Security Council discussed Secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon’s report on Kosovo late on Wednesday, but major powers sharply differed in assessing the situation and on policies to be followed.

In a report, covering the period from mid-October to 15 January, Ban said a “potentially unstable situation” hampered the ongoing talks between Belgrade and Pristina and had negative effects on “European perspective of the entire region”.

Ban said ethnic tensions in Kosovo were still high, despite slight improvements, and represented a “risk for peace and stability” the international community and its representatives in the filed should deal with.

But representatives of the United States and European powers in the Security Council sharply disagreed with Russia and China on policies to be followed regarding Kosovo.

Backed by Russia and China, Serbia opposes Kosovo independence declared by majority Albanians in 2008, while western powers insist Kosovo independence was irreversible and Belgrade should normalize relations with Pristina in order to proceed toward integration into the European Union.

The Council also heard a report on the investigation of alleged human organs trafficking involving members and high officials of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which started a rebellion against Serbian rule in 2008.

The Council of Europe investigator Dick Marty said in a report last year that even Kosovo prime minister Hashim Thaci may have been involved in illegal sales of human organs harvested from Serb prisoners.

The report has been investigated by the EU mission in Kosovo (EULEX), headed by American Clint Williamson, but Russian ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said he wasn’t satisfied with the way the investigation was progressing.

He said the investigation should be taken over by the Security Council, because Williamson was in a “conflict of interest”, because he represented the countries that spearheaded Kosovo independence.

“The investigation must be impartial...therefore we demand it be taken over by the Security Council,” Churkin said. But US ambassador Rosemary di Carlo and ambassadors of leading EU countries said EULEX enjoyed their full support.

Kosovo foreign minister Enver Hodzaj called on EU countries not to grant Serbia a status of an official candidate for EU membership in March, saying it would leave a “freezing conflict” in Kosovo.

His Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic said the opposite was true and Hodzaj’s call didn’t contribute to normalization of relations.