'Kosovo must be respected' — Ukrainian flag stripped from Kosovo building after Zelensky's Serbia visit inflames controversy

Officials in Kosovo expressed outrage on Aug. 9, following President Volodymyr Zelensky's first official visit to Serbia, where he reiterated Ukraine's position that Kosovo is not an independent state.

Zelensky met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade Aug. 7-9, in a visit largely seen as symbolic given Serbia's close ties with Russia. Despite Kosovo's support for Kyiv in the war against Moscow, Ukraine does not formally recognize Kosovo as a state — a stance Zelensky confirmed during talks with Vucic.  

Kosovars responded by stripping a large Ukrainian flag from a building in Pristina, Kosovo's capital, on Aug. 9.

"The state of Kosovo must be respected," Pristina Mayor Perparim Rama said in a Facebook post showing a video of the flag being removed. "When Kosovo is not respected, Pristina answers!"

Behgjet Pacolli, former foreign minister of Kosovo, also called Zelensky and Vucic's remarks "deeply disappointing," noting Kosovo's continued support for Ukraine.

"Mr. Zelensky, your statement that Ukraine's position on Kosovo remains unchanged is deeply disappointing," Pacolli said on X.

"Kosovo has stood with Ukraine and genuinely sympathized with the suffering of its people. If this is Ukraine’s response to that solidarity, it is truly regrettable."

Relations between Kosovo and Serbia have remained tense since the 1998–1999 Kosovo War following the breakup of Yugoslavia. Serbian forces committed widespread war crimes, including the massacre of thousands of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

The crisis spurred a 78-day NATO bombing campaign to push out Serbian forces in 1999. At least 10,000 Kosovar Albanians were killed by Serbian forces in ethnic cleansings, according to the U.S. State Department. Kosovo later declared its independence in 2008.

Ukraine's reluctance to recognize Kosovo as a state has been linked, among other factors, to doctrinal adherence to territorial integrity, stemming from Kyiv's experience with Moscow's aggression and occupation.

During Zelensky's visit to Serbia, the president and Vucic held discussions regarding mutual respect for territorial integrity, humanitarian aid, and bilateral cooperation. Vucic also backed Ukraine's bid for EU membership.

"We will do everything we can to help Ukraine on the European path," he said.

Kosovo Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca said that his country would continue to support Kyiv's sovereignty, but rejected the framing of Serbian "territorial integrity" as a reason to deny Kosovo's independence.

"We would welcome Ukraine’s recognition of the Republic of Kosovo," he said on X. "Such a decision would strengthen the very principles of freedom, democracy and international law that Ukraine itself is defending today."

In his post about Ukraine on Aug. 9, Rama said the people of Kosovo would always support victims of war.

"Our empathy and solidarity will always be with peoples facing war, violence and persecution," he wrote.

"Because we, better than most, know what it means to fight for freedom, dignity, and the right to exist as a state. But no cause and no policy can be built undermining Kosovo's citizenship and the sacrifice of its people."

Editor's Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Behgjet Pacolli as Kosovo's foreign minister. He is the former foreign minister; the article has been updated to reflect this. Statements from the current foreign minister, Glauk Konjufca, have also been added.