Secret back channel

In May 1999 -- while the UK was getting more openly in favor of a possible option with ground troops -- Germany and Russia opened a secret back channel to Yugoslav president Milosevic, reported BBC. Swedish financier Peter Castenfelt met in Moscow with Russian security services. His message to Milosevic was that both countries had decided to throw their lot in with Russian president Yeltsin.

Castenfelt was smuggled into Belgrade by the Russian secret service to meet with Milosvic. During several meetings over a four-day period, he told Milosevic that the message from Moscow was "exit now". By that time the official international envoys -- Marti Ahtisaari of Finland and Russian prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin -- arrived in Belgrade at the beginning of June 1999 to try to press president Milosevic to end the war (earlier, Chernomyrdin attended meetings with Milosvic on May 19).

On June 10, 1999, KFOR troops entered Kosovo.