Summit over: Brussels update
Most important news by far:
The European Union has agreed in principle to send some time in the new year. The French president said that Kosovan independence was "inevitable".
Cyprus went along with this, saying it was the day after the signing of the Lisbon treaty and there was a need to show unity. But they questioned the legal basis for sending the force. 
said it was "very important" that the EU had decided to "manage the next stage".
But it's quite clear there can be no unity over the central issue of recognising Kosovo.
suggested the mood was changing. He said there was a real feeling Europe was coming together from the spectrum of opinion that was on display at his first meeting of foreign ministers in July.
Lisbon and beyond:
Gordon Brown was adamant that the leaders had unanimously agreed that there would be "no fundamental constitutional change" for a good while and that Lisbon would be "stable and lasting".
He pointed out that the treaty wouldn't take full effect until 2017. And no, there wouldn't be a referendum.
Guffaws of laughter when he was asked to correct the impression he didn't like coming to Brussels: he listed a lot of things to do with globalisation that he was excited by.
Did he regret not going to the signing ceremony at the same time as the other leaders? He was pleased to be at the signing because the treaty was an important stage forward.
I’m Mark Mardell, the 91Èȱ¬'s North America editor. These are my reflections on American politics, some thoughts on being a Brit living in the USA, and who knows what else? My 
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So once again ‘Mr Bean’ arrogantly confirms he has no intention of honouring an election promise to give us a say over this Constitution and in so doing, he demonstrates that he is simply not fit to hold high public office.
But what are we Conservatives going to do? Well my manifesto would be quite simple: Because this Treaty will always be associated with Labour’s broken promises and lies, it will therefore never have any credibility or legitimacy in this country. Consequently, if I was David Cameron, I would tell the people that unlike Labour, we Conservatives have every intention of honouring our manifesto pledge to put this Treaty to a referendum, even if it means holding a post-ratification referendum.
To do anything less will simply mean that we will be (rightly) tarred with Labour’s dishonest brush… So how about it Mr Cameron…?
"The European Union has agreed in principle to send a force to Kosovo some time in the new year. The French president said that Kosovan independence was "inevitable"."
Well if the French send a force to Kosovo, who will that leave to direct traffic in Paris?
"I'd rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me"
General George Patton.
Gordon cannot win no matter what he does and the poor man doesn't have a Campbell to protect him from feral beasts like Mark.
I still don’t understand how Kosovo won’t set a precedent? Are other minorities not as important as the Albanian's or are other majorities worth more then the Serbs?? Can someone please explain?
The Greek Cypriot position on Kososvo is of course coloured by their concern that this may be seen as a solution to the 30 year plus issue of the division of Cyprus into into a Turkish Cypriot, essentially Muslim entity and a Greek Cypriot Orthodox Christian one. The parallel is powerful as the history of sectarian violence and "ethnic cleansing" there before the division has still not faded from many memories. Bodies are still being recovered from where they were dumped to this day.
The fact that Greek Cypriots voted against a UN sponsored reunification plan in 2004 which the Turkish Cypriots supported doesn't really help their case that a re-unification which protects the interests of all parties to their mutual acceptance is in fact possible.
Given the regular noises from Brussels that "Turkish Cyprus" needs to be rewarded for its acceptance of the UN Annan plan and the ongoing Greek Cypriot refusal to accept anything but token involvement of Turkish Cypriots in the running of a re-unified Cyprus do you think that Europe may use the Kosovo approach to draw a line under the Cyprus situation and finally recognise that a reunification scheme that is mutually acceptable to Greek and Turkish Cypriots is just not possible?
We know that Chancellor Merkel regrets that Cyprus was ever allowed to join the EU before a settlement was agreed and partition would also suit the French as Turkey would have no basis to remain in Cyprus to protect Turkish Cypriot interests if a European force would in future guarantee the safety of all on the Island.
The next Grand Gesture to demonstrate a unified Europe and define its boundaries?
On a separate matter is anyone ever going to sort out the appalling reliability of the 91Èȱ¬ blog software? Much of the time you can't even get through to complain about it.
A French historian, Marc Ferro, wrote an interesting book earlier this year: "le Ressentiment dans l'Histoire" (about the role of Resentment in history). In it he noted many examples of international action where there were perceived to be "winners" and "losers": and that the resentment of the losers would be vindicated (usually violently) many years later. These vindications uwually take place at the perceived site of the losers loss. International leaders rarely take account of this "time-bomb" phenomenon called "resentment".
If the EU and US leaders do agree to recognise an independent Kosovo, then who will reap the whirlwind? The citizens of new York and Brussels, if Marc Ferro is right. When? Could be next year, in five years, or in decades. But the resentment will seethe on.
Justin, calling Mark a 'feral beast' is ludicrous. It shows how pathetically weak and vulnerable Gordon Brown is if he can be ravished by a teddy bear like Mark Mardell (for that is what he really is - but unlike Pooh, he does have a large brain).
Feigned unity is not unity. Posturing politicians with delusions never look strong, except to themselves. The 91Èȱ¬ has formulated a new insult for Russia: "the world's largest country with an inferiority complex of the same size." The retort that begs to be uttered about the Nato countries naturally enough would accuse them of having a superiority complex to match Russia's inferiority complex... Ultimately, all the name-calling makes those who stoop to that level of discourse look pathetic. The fact remains that not all options have been exhausted; that calling the situation "untenable" when clearly it IS tenable amounts to a rush to war. It is the EU, led by the UK & the US, that has chosen to escalate tensions in Kosovo, rather than to defuse them. So on your heads, and your consciences, and your reserves of treasure shall fall the consequences of your unseemly biases & inexcusable haste. There are dozens of communities all around the world clamouring for sovereignty. You are opening the floodgates, and you had better be prepared to fund all the little new states that emerge and come knocking.
Feigned unity is not unity. Posturing politicians with delusions never look strong, except to themselves. The 91Èȱ¬ has formulated a new insult for Russia: "the world's largest country with an inferiority complex of the same size." The retort that begs to be uttered about the Nato countries naturally enough would accuse them of having a superiority complex to match Russia's inferiority complex... Ultimately, all the name-calling makes those who stoop to that level of discourse look pathetic. The fact remains that not all options have been exhausted; that calling the situation "untenable" when clearly it IS tenable amounts to a rush to war. It is the EU, led by the UK & the US, that has chosen to escalate tensions in Kosovo, rather than to defuse them. So on your heads, and your consciences, and your reserves of treasure shall fall the consequences of your unseemly biases & inexcusable haste. There are dozens of communities all around the world clamouring for sovereignty. You are opening the floodgates, and you had better be prepared to fund all the little new states that emerge and come knocking.
Speaking of updates...
How are them union protests and demos in Brussels these days?
And will the Flamands choose Kosovars' approach or simply 'go Dutch', if you get my drift? ;-)
Maria Amadei Ashot wrote "It is the EU, led by the UK & the US, that has chosen to escalate tensions in Kosovo"
1) The US is not part of the EU and the last time I checked they seemed happy to do whatever they wanted alone, without getting the Europeans involoved.
2) It is the French president who said that Kosovan independence was "inevitable".
Stop trying to blame everything on the US/UK!