EuropeAugust 13, 2026 4:44 pm • 2 min readIllustrative image: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Tirana, Albania, on Feb. 28, 2024.Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Aug. 13 called for continued support for Ukraine, despite Kyiv drawing criticism in the region for its ongoing refusal to officially recognize Kosovo's independence."Ukraine can be, and yes, it is wrong about Kosovo, but its right to be free remains unquestionable, and fighting for that right means fighting for Europe and for ourselves too," Rama wrote on X."Standing against a war of aggression and for a just peace is not a receipt you tear up when the victim of a barbaric aggression disappoints you."Rama's comments follow President Volodymyr Zelensky's first official visit to Serbia on Aug. 7, where he met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. The trip was seen as highly symbolic, given Belgrade's longstanding diplomatic and economic ties to Moscow.Controversy arose during the visit when Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine does not officially recognize Kosovo as an independent country, a position that drew sharp criticism from Kosovo and Albania.Kosovo, whose population is predominantly ethnic Albanian, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after nearly a decade of international administration following the 1998–99 Kosovo War. Its independence has been recognized by most Western countries, but Serbia continues to regard Kosovo as part of its sovereign territory. The dispute remains a major issue in relations between Belgrade and Pristina.Kyiv's refusal to recognize Kosovo is based on its own diplomatic position on territorial integrity, but some Ukrainian lawmakers have publicly called on Zelensky to make an exception regarding Kosovo.