Former health minister sends message to Zelensky following his remarks on Kosovo’s independence

Rifat Latifi, Kosovo’s former health minister, has responded to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement in the Serbian capital, where he stressed that Ukraine has not recognized Kosovo’s statehood. He sent an official letter to the Ukrainian leader.

In his letter, Latifi expresses deep disappointment with Kyiv’s position, which he sees as contradictory to the reality and challenges facing Ukraine, adding that this approach undermines those same principles.

“The arguments raised against us have been used word for word against you, by the same force,” he wrote in the letter.

The former minister underscored that Pristina has stood firmly by Kyiv’s side since the beginning of the Russian invasion, recalling its full support for Western sanctions against Moscow, its welcoming of Ukrainian media professionals and families, as well as its recognition of Ukraine’s sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders, including the Crimean Peninsula.

Latifi also highlighted his personal commitment to the Ukrainian cause. “As an Albanian American originally from Kosovo, I went to Ukraine to provide assistance after the initial invasion,” he recalled, adding that he hoped to find the country liberated on his next visit.

In his message, he argued that Ukraine’s position toward Kosovo is particularly discouraging, given the strong parallels between the suffering endured by the people of Kosovo and what the Ukrainian people are going through today under the Russian attack.

“We understand your suffering because we have experienced it ourselves, under the same doctrine and within our own recent memory,” Latifi stressed.

He also did not hold back criticism of Zelensky’s rapprochement with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, warning the Ukrainian leader that cooperation with Belgrade and any attempt to move closer to Moscow constitute an entirely wrong course.

“If you are building alliances with Vučić and seeking friendship with Putin, you have taken the wrong path. Completely wrong,” he said in the letter.

Latifi concluded his message with an expression of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and a call for Ukraine to stand with Kosovo. “With respect and unwavering solidarity for the people of Ukraine.”