Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama called for a stop criticizing Ukraine over President Volodymyr Zelenskyʼs statement on Kosovoʼs independence.
He wrote about this on the social network X.
He called Zelensky “his dear friend”. According to Rama, after the Ukrainian president’s statement that Ukraine supported the territorial integrity of Serbia, “popular nationalists” in Tirana (the capital of Albania) and Pristina (the capital of Kosovo) began calling for an end to support for Ukraine.
The Albanian Prime Minister added that Ukraine is standing up to Russia, so his country will not turn away because of this “mistake”. Rama believes that the position that Ukraine expresses regarding Kosovo’s independence does not cancel its right to freedom.
“Ukraine may be wrong about Kosovo. Yes, it is wrong, but its right to freedom remains indisputable, and the fight for this right means the fight for Europe and for ourselves. These truths can well coexist in the same sentence. Albania is mature enough to carry both, and it will,” Rama said.
On August 8, Zelensky arrived in Serbia, his first visit since taking office in 2019. During a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Zelensky said that Ukraine supports the territorial integrity of its partners. This caused outrage in Kosovo, which supports Ukraine, and a banner with the Ukrainian flag and the inscription “Free Ukraine” that had been hanging there for four years was removed in Pristina.
Ukraine, Kosovo and Serbia
Kosovo is a partially recognized state inhabited by Albanians. Previously, Kosovo was an autonomy within Serbia, but in 1991 the district declared independence and held a referendum. The authorities of the then Yugoslavia introduced security forces into the territory of Kosovo. At first it was a special operation, but in 1998 ethnic cleansing began in the region — the Serbs destroyed Albanians. Because of this, in 1999 NATO bombed major Serbian cities, including the capital Belgrade. After that, troops were withdrawn from Kosovo, and the region came under the control of UN peacekeepers.
The country has been recognized by almost 100 countries around the world. Serbia does not recognize Kosovoʼs independence, as does Ukraine. Five EU member states (Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain) also do not recognize Kosovoʼs independence.
In the full-scale war with Russia, Kosovo initially supported Ukraine. In May 2022, the country imposed sanctions against Russia and Belarus and has since joined 19 of the 21 EU sanctions packages.
At the same time, Serbia is trying to maneuver between the common position of the European Union on the war and good relations with Russia. Officially, Serbia sends non-military aid to Ukraine. Over four years, its volume has exceeded €60 million. In 2026, the country allocated €2 million to support the Ukrainian energy sector. Some media write that the country is secretly involved in arms supplies to Ukraine.
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