It is not a matter of bowing to anyone, it is compromise. Kosovo will be independent with or without US involvement, acording to all other countries which consented. Some sort of document could have been provided by the US and Russia (not a binding document/treaty) which lays out independence of Kosovo based on certain understandings (not agreements), in this way the opposing reaction of Russia toward US could have been reduced. (or take the Japanese approach, and conduct an investigation of the circumstances)

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"We've been blowin up, we're the issue, we're ammunition" Switchfoot