[icarus]

The difference between Kosovo and the independence movements of the post-colonial era is that in almost every case the colonial power agreed (grudgingly or not) to recognise the newly minted nation. Sure Indonesia didn't want to recognise Timor-Leste and Ethiopia didn't want to recognise Eritrea but when blood is shed the international community puts a lot of pressure on these developing countries to give up and recognise them. And they did. But with Kosovo it has been 9 years since the bloodshed, and yet members of the international community are just as willing to support the fledgling nation as they would have been then. It doesn't have the same influence on Serbia now though as it might have during the civil war.

Obviously you can't compare Kosovo to Montenegro as both involve independence from Serbia; the difference is that in one case Serbia agreed to recognise the country, and in the other they refuse.