Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko has said he strongly supports Ukraine recognizing Kosovo as an independent state, noting that he has also sponsored a bill on the issue in the Ukrainian parliament.
In an interview with KosovaPress, Goncharenko commented on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s position that Kyiv’s stance on Kosovo remains unchanged, which he reiterated during his visit to Serbia.
“I am a strong supporter of Ukraine recognizing Kosovo as an independent state. I have sponsored a bill on this issue in the Ukrainian parliament. Unfortunately, President Zelensky has a different position. The situation is also quite complicated for us now, in the middle of a war. It would have been better if this had happened before the full-scale invasion began, because now every step Ukraine takes is also assessed in terms of how it could affect our situation, which is very difficult,” he said.
Goncharenko praised the support that Kosovo and its citizens have provided to Ukraine, saying the two peoples understand each other because of the tragic experiences they have endured.
He said Russia poses the same threat in Ukraine and the Western Balkans, where, according to him, Moscow seeks to exert influence through Serbian groups.
Goncharenko argued that Ukraine and Kosovo should establish a serious partnership.
“We certainly know that the people of Kosovo support Ukraine and that Ukrainian refugees have been in Kosovo. In general, I think Ukrainians, unfortunately, together with the people of Kosovo, understand better than anyone else in Europe today what genocide is, because the people of Kosovo went through it, while Ukrainians are experiencing it. Therefore, we understand each other very well. This is the same threat that Russia poses to Ukraine. It is the same threat through which Russia exerts influence in the Balkans and seeks to set the region on fire by using certain marginal Serbian groups. We have a lot in common in our history, unfortunately in our tragic and recent history. I think Ukraine and Kosovo should have a very serious partnership,” he said.
The Ukrainian MP said Kyiv should also maintain dialogue with Serbia, while criticizing Belgrade’s close ties with Moscow and expressing hope that Serbia would eventually change its position.
“Ukraine should talk to Serbia and the Serbian president as well – we should talk to everyone,” Goncharenko said.
“We need to talk to everyone. Ukraine should also talk to Serbia and the Serbian president. But we all know that Serbia is perhaps the country closest to Russia in Europe today. I think this is a major mistake by Serbia, but it is their choice. I hope that one day Serbia will change this, abandon this imperial mindset and understand that it needs to build a new Serbia as a state, not a Balkan empire. But I understand that today, unfortunately, many Serbs do not share this view,” he added.
Goncharenko also commented on the removal of the Ukrainian flag from a public space in Pristina by Mayor Përparim Rama following Zelensky’s remarks, calling the move a mistake.
According to him, the Ukrainian flag represents support for the Ukrainian people, rather than for a particular president.
“I think it was a mistake, because that flag was an important signal of support for the Ukrainian people, not for Zelensky personally. Today the president of Ukraine is Zelensky, tomorrow it will be someone else. But the Ukrainian people are fighting not only for our freedom, but in reality are defending the whole of Europe, including the Balkans. Therefore, I think it was a mistake on the part of the mayor of Pristina to do this. I understand that he wanted to react to President Zelensky’s statement. But once again, this is not about the president, but about the Ukrainian people,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently reiterated during his visit to Belgrade that Ukraine’s position on Kosovo remains unchanged, while thanking Serbia for its stance on Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
“We respect the territorial integrity of our partners and international law. As for Kosovo, our position remains unchanged. We are grateful to Serbia for respecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, including Crimea,” Zelensky said during a joint press conference in Belgrade with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
