Ukrainian flag taken down in Pristina as mayor says "Kosovo must be respected"
The mayor of Pristina had the Ukrainian flag removed from a building in the city center on Sunday, saying Kosovo's statehood must be respected. The move follows Zelensky's statement in Serbia reaffirming Ukraine's non-recognition of Kosovo's independence.
Pristina Mayor Përparim Rama posted a video on Sunday showing the Ukrainian flag being taken down from a building in the center of the Kosovan capital, accompanying it with a statement that "the state of Kosovo must be respected".
In his post, Rama said that whenever Kosovo is not respected, Pristina always responds the same way. He added that compassion and solidarity would always lie with peoples facing war, violence and persecution, noting that Kosovo itself knows well what it means to fight for freedom, dignity and the right to exist as a state. At the same time, he stressed that no cause or policy can be built on humiliating Kosovo's statehood or the sacrifices of its people.
Background
The flag's removal came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Serbia on 8 August and met with President Aleksandar Vučić. At a joint press conference, Zelensky was asked whether Serbians could still rely on Ukraine's firm position of not recognizing Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. He responded that Ukraine supports the territorial integrity of its partners and international law, and that its policy on the matter remains unchanged. Zelensky also thanked partners for respecting Ukraine's own territorial integrity, including Crimea's status as part of Ukraine, noting that Serbia's position, including at the UN General Assembly, likewise has not changed.
During the visit, Vučić said he did not expect Serbia to join the European Union in the near future.
