Balkan reactions flare following Zelenskyy's remarks on Kosovo non-recognition

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's confirmation during a Belgrade visit that Kyiv will not recognise Kosovo's independence has prompted sharp reactions across the region.

In Pristina, workers removed a prominent solidarity banner supporting Ukraine. Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko criticised Kyiv's stance as a "diplomatic mistake," contending that many Ukrainians support Kosovan statehood. Albania's foreign ministry firmly rejected comparisons between Kosovo and other international conflicts as misplaced. Commentators also observed that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić utilised the high-level talks to strengthen his domestic political standing.

Concurrently, rising tensions over northern Kosovo's Ibar River prompted European Union spokesperson Anita Hipper to warn Serbian authorities that rhetoric regarding altering the river's flow harms regional stability, reiterating that disputes must be resolved solely through Brussels-facilitated dialogue.

Sources: BalkanWeb, Faktoje, Gazeta Tema, Kanal 5, Koha