Ukrainian MP Challenges Zelensky’s Position and Calls for Recognition of Kosovo

Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, has strongly advocated for Ukraine to recognize Kosovo as an independent state. He revealed that he has also sponsored a bill in his country’s parliament related to the issue.

In an interview with KosovaPress, Goncharenko spoke about President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement in Serbia, where the Ukrainian head of state said that Kyiv’s policy toward Kosovo had not changed.

The MP emphasized that, unfortunately, Zelensky holds a different position from his own regarding Kosovo’s recognition. According to him, the circumstances for Ukraine are currently highly complicated because of the war, and it would have been more appropriate for recognition to have taken place before the start of the full-scale invasion. He explained that every decision Ukraine makes now is also assessed based on the impact it could have on the country’s extremely difficult situation.

Goncharenko praised Kosovo and its citizens for their support of Ukraine. He said that Ukrainians and the people of Kosovo are able to understand each other because of the tragic experiences they have gone through.

He recalled that Kosovo has sheltered Ukrainian refugees and that its citizens have stood by Ukraine. According to the MP, unfortunately, Ukrainians and the people of Kosovo know better than anyone else in Europe what genocide means, as Kosovo experienced it earlier, while Ukraine is facing it now.

According to Goncharenko, the threat Russia poses to Ukraine is the same as the destabilizing influence it exerts in the Balkans. He said Moscow aims to ignite the region by exploiting certain marginal Serbian groups.

The Ukrainian MP said that their recent and tragic history has given Ukraine and Kosovo much in common. For this reason, he said, the two countries should build a very serious partnership.

However, Goncharenko said that Ukraine must hold talks with everyone, including Serbia and the Serbian president. At the same time, he criticized Belgrade’s close relations with Moscow, describing Serbia as perhaps the country currently closest to Russia in Europe.

He called this closeness a major mistake by Serbia, although he acknowledged that it was its choice. Goncharenko expressed hope that one day Serbia would change course, abandon its imperialist mindset and understand that it must build a new Serbia as a state, not a Balkan empire. Nevertheless, he said that many Serbs, unfortunately, do not currently share this view.

Goncharenko also addressed Mayor Rama’s decision to remove the Ukrainian flag from a public space in Pristina following Zelensky’s statement. The MP considered the move to be wrong.

According to him, the flag represented an important message of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and was not an expression of personal support for Zelensky. He stressed that Zelensky is president today, while someone else will hold the post tomorrow, but Ukrainian citizens are fighting not only for their own freedom—they are actually defending all of Europe, including the Balkans.

Goncharenko said he understood the aim of the mayor of Pristina in reacting to the Ukrainian president’s statement, but repeated that the issue was not about the president, but about the people of Ukraine. For this reason, he said, removing the flag was a wrong decision.

A few days earlier, during his visit to Belgrade, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had declared that Ukraine’s position toward Kosovo remained unchanged. At the same time, he thanked Serbia for its position regarding Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

At a news conference in Belgrade, where he appeared alongside Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Zelensky said that Ukraine respects the territorial integrity of its partners and international law. He emphasized that its position on Kosovo had not changed and expressed gratitude to Serbia for respecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, including Crimea.