Zelenskyy's Kosovo remarks spark diplomatic fallout and regional tension

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's reaffirmation in Belgrade that Kyiv will not recognise Kosovo's statehood continues to draw strong reactions across the Western Balkans. In Pristina, workers took down a long-standing Ukrainian solidarity banner, while Ukrainian parliamentarian Oleksiy Goncharenko publicly criticised Kyiv's position as a "diplomatic mistake," arguing that the Ukrainian public largely supports Kosovo.

Albania's foreign ministry dismissed comparisons between Kosovo and other international territorial conflicts as fundamentally flawed. Analysts noted that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić capitalised on the high-profile visit to bolster his domestic political standing amid persistent frictions in northern Kosovo. Concurrently, European Union spokesperson Anita Hipper warned Serbian authorities against inflammatory suggestions regarding altering the flow of the Ibar River, stressing that all outstanding disputes must be resolved solely through EU-mediated negotiations.

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