July 11 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. and its European allies have bowed to Russian opposition to a United Nations plan for Kosovo's independence and won't seek Security Council support for the proposal, two Western diplomats said.

The new text only takes note of the independence plan submitted by UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari, while urging four months of talks between the Serbian government and the leadership of Kosovo, according to the diplomats, who spoke on condition they weren't identified. The measure would turn administration of Kosovo over to European Union police, who would replace the UN peacekeeping mission, the diplomats said.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters he would hold talks today with Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin on the latest version of a draft resolution on Kosovo. Khalilzad yesterday said the next week or so would be ``decisive'' on the issue.

Russian envoy Konstantin Dolgov had no comment on the draft resolution, saying it hadn't been formally submitted to his government. Russia has insisted that any settlement must be endorsed by the Serbian government, and has threatened to veto previous draft resolutions circulated at the UN that would grant independence to Kosovo.

Serbia's coalition government has rejected European and U.S. calls to give Kosovo the full independence it demands and is offering only broad autonomy. Negotiations between leaders of Serbia and Kosovo broke down in March after 14 months.

The UN has run Kosovo since a North Atlantic Treaty Organization bombing campaign in 1999 pushed Serbian forces from the province.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Varner in United Nations at wvarner@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 11, 2007 16:49 EDT