Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement that Kyiv does not recognise Kosovo’s independence may have handed his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić a diplomatic win during his visit to Belgrade.
Yet it triggered a sharp backlash in Prishtina, which has demanded that Zelenskyy and Kyiv respect Kosovo's right to self-determination and the 2008 independence declaration recognised by over 100 countries, including key Western powers such as the US, the UK and 22 EU members.
During a press conference in Belgrade on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine supports the territorial integrity of its partners and international law, in response to a question on whether Serbia could still "count on Ukraine's firm position" regarding Kosovo's independence.
Despite Prishtina's vocal support for Kyiv in Russia’s all-out war, Ukraine has not formally recognised Kosovo — Serbia's former province whose independence Belgrade does not recognise — a stance Zelenskyy said he affirmed during talks with Vučić last weekend.
"Our position ... remains unchanged. We have always stressed this, and Ukraine's policy has not changed,” Zelenskyy said.
