Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sparked a wave of heated reactions in Pristina and Tirana after he said in Belgrade that Ukraine does not recognize Kosovo's independence.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement that Kiev does not recognize Kosovo's independence can be seen as a diplomatic victory for his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic during his visit to Belgrade, Euronews reports.
Yet it has sparked a sharp reaction in Pristina, which has demanded that Zelensky and Kiev respect Kosovo's right to self-determination and its 2008 declaration of independence, recognized by over 100 countries, including key Western powers such as the United States, Britain and 22 member states of the EU.
Ukraine has not officially recognized Kosovo and this position has not changed now, it became clear during Zelensky's visit to the Serbian capital.
Zelensky stated that his country has not changed its position on the non-recognition of Kosovo and said that it respects the territorial integrity of Serbia and international law. He said his country was grateful to Serbia for respecting Ukraine's territorial integrity, including Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
Vucic has repeatedly stated that Serbia supports Ukraine's sovereignty over all of its lands, including Crimea, despite Belgrade's refusal to join the EU's sanctions policy against Russia.
The Serbian president reiterated that his country would continue to support Ukraine's territorial integrity, including the territories seized by Russia since 2014 - a position for which Zelensky thanked him.
Led by dictator Slobodan Milosevic, Belgrade spent a decade suppressing the political rights of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority before tensions escalated into armed conflict and a campaign of ethnic cleansing. purge in 1998-1999.
A three-month NATO intervention in 1999 led to the withdrawal of Serbian troops, and the UN established an executive mandate in the country for nine years, effectively maintaining a protectorate over Kosovo. The organization also deployed a large NATO-led peacekeeping mission, KFOR. Kosovo declared independence in 2008. Belgrade does not recognize it.
The authorities in Kosovo responded to Zelensky's words by taking down a large Ukrainian flag with the inscription "Free Ukraine", which had been hanging on the facade of a building in the city center since early 2022. "The state of Kosovo must be respected", the mayor of Pristina said on social media in a post showing a video of the flag being taken down.
Kosovo Foreign Minister Glauq Konjufca reacted by saying that Pristina "notes with regret" Zelensky's remarks, while adding that his country will continue to support Kiev's sovereignty.
The Albanian Foreign Ministry also responded, calling any attempt to draw parallels between Kosovo and other international situations wrong. The response stated that Albania supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine, just as it supports the sovereignty and independence of Kosovo. According to the Albanian Foreign Ministry, any step that helps Serbia move away from Russian influence and closer to Europe is positive.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Belgrade has sought to balance its relations with Moscow while deepening its ties with the rest of Europe amid its ongoing EU membership bid. Russia has long been one of Serbia's key diplomatic allies, while the Western Balkan country remains heavily dependent on Russian gas, leading Vucic to tread carefully on the issue over the past four and a half years, despite repeated calls from Brussels to openly side with Ukraine.
Belgrade does not publicly supply weapons to Ukraine. However, significant quantities of Serbian-made ammunition have reportedly reached Ukraine via third countries. The Serbian government has said it neither authorized nor controlled such transfers. Vucic said he and Zelensky did not discuss military cooperation during the Ukrainian president's visit a few days ago.
Following Zelensky's statement, the Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans Organization also reacted, calling the statement anti-Kosovo. Kosovo is one of the countries that has consistently supported Ukraine since the start of the war with Russia in 2022. Kosovo agreed to accept Ukrainian refugees, launched a program for Ukrainian journalists, imposed sanctions on Russia, and provided humanitarian and medical assistance.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama called on Albanians not to give up their support for Ukraine because of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's position on Kosovo's independence, UNIAN reported.
The head of the Albanian government stressed that Ukraine opposes an aggressive war and support for a country that has become a victim of aggression should not depend on whether its positions coincide with the views of its allies on all other issues.
„Ukraine may be wrong, and yes, it is wrong about Kosovo, but its right to freedom remains indisputable, and the fight for this right means a fight for Europe and for ourselves. These truths can coexist in the same sentence. Albania is mature enough to accept both positions, and will accept them. So yes: free Ukraine. Today, tomorrow and always“, Rama pointed out.