Konjufca Responds to Zelenskyy: Kosovo Supports Ukraine but Will Not Accept Being Viewed Within the Framework of Serbia’s Territorial Integrity

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Glauk Konjufca has responded to remarks made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Belgrade, where the Ukrainian head of state reaffirmed that Ukraine does not recognize Kosovo’s independence.

In a post on the X platform, Konjufca said Zelenskyy’s statement in Belgrade had been received with regret. He underscored that, from the first day of Russia’s full-scale aggression, Kosovo has positioned itself firmly alongside Ukraine.

According to Konjufca, Kosovo condemned the invasion and fully aligned itself with the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). It imposed sanctions on Russia and Belarus, provided humanitarian aid, gave refuge to Ukrainian journalists, and contributed military assistance and training to Ukraine’s defense.

He emphasized that these actions were taken even though Ukraine does not recognize the state of Kosovo, because supporting a people fighting for its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity is a matter of principle.

Konjufca also highlighted the difference between Kosovo and Serbia in their approach to Russia. While Kosovo has imposed sanctions on Russia, Serbia did not join the European Union measures adopted in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

In his response, he described the Republic of Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state, established through its people’s struggle for freedom and the liberation of 1999, following years of systematic repression and the genocidal campaign carried out by the Milošević regime.

Konjufca clarified that the subsequent developments did not constitute annexation, occupation, or the seizure of territory. According to him, they were part of a broad international process under United Nations administration, accompanied by years of mediated negotiations over Kosovo’s final status.

After the talks exhausted every possibility of reaching a joint agreement, UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari proposed independence as Kosovo’s final status. He also presented a comprehensive framework for the new state, which included some of the broadest constitutional guarantees in Europe for non-majority communities.

On February 17, 2008, Kosovo declared independence, marking the culmination of this political and historical journey. It assumed the responsibilities of a democratic and multiethnic state and entered the phase of internationally supervised independence.

In 2010, the International Court of Justice found that Kosovo’s declaration of independence had not violated international law. Two years later, in 2012, international supervision officially ended.

Today, the Republic of Kosovo is recognized by the overwhelming majority of NATO and European Union member states. According to Konjufca, its statehood is founded on democracy, human rights, peace, and the goal of Euro-Atlantic integration.

For this reason, he said Russian attempts to portray Kosovo as a precedent or justification for the invasion, occupation, or attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory are unfounded both historically and legally. Konjufca emphasized that there is no parallel whatsoever between the two cases.

He reaffirmed that Kosovo remains unwavering in its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. However, Kosovo respectfully but firmly opposes any treatment of the Republic of Kosovo from the perspective of Serbia’s territorial integrity.

Finally, Konjufca stated that Ukraine’s recognition of the Republic of Kosovo would be welcome. According to him, such a step would strengthen the very principles of freedom, democracy, and international law that Ukraine is defending today.