A large Ukrainian flag was taken down from the “Grand” Hotel in the center of Pristina, a day after the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Belgrade when he said that Ukraine’s position on not recognizing the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo remains unchanged.
The removal of the Ukrainian flag was published on social networks by the Mayor of Pristina Përparim Rama, writing “that, when Kosovo is not respected, the municipality he leads will respond in kind.”
Rama wrote that their “empathy and solidarity will always be with peoples facing war, violence, and persecution, but that no goal and no policy can be built by disparaging the statehood of Kosovo and the sacrifice of its people.”
The Ukrainian flag was placed in the center of Pristina shortly after the start of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, and represented Albanians’ support for that country and its people.
Former president in Pristina Behgjet Pacolli published that he was “deeply disappointed” by Zelenskyy’s statement, telling the Ukrainian president that “Kosovo stood with Ukraine and sincerely expressed regret over the suffering of the Ukrainian people.”
“If this is Ukraine’s response to that solidarity, it is truly regrettable,” Pacolli stated.
The veterans’ organization of the former KLA assessed that Zelenskyy’s statement was “anti-Kosovo” and that it “reveals his profession before he became president.”
🚨🇽🇰 BREAKING: Kosovo removes the “Free Ukraine” banner displayed in the center of its capital, Pristina, after Zelenskyy’s visit to Serbia, saying that Ukraine will not recognize Kosovo even though it supports Ukraine’s struggle against Russia pic.twitter.com/fNmu0dIJmW
— Anonymous TV 🇺🇦 (@YourAnonTV) August 9, 2026
Reactions in Tirana as well
There were reactions in Tirana as well, so the statement of Zelenskyy sparked criticism from former Foreign Minister of Albania Ditmir Bushati.
“Volodymyr Zelenskyy could have shown more respect towards Ukraine’s partners in Southeast Europe, including Kosovo, which stood strongly with Ukraine,” Bushati published.
In official Tirana’s position, there is a slightly different tone compared to the former minister and the reactions from Pristina.
“There should be no misunderstanding on this issue — any attempt to draw a parallel or make an equation between Kosovo and any other international situation is wrong, opportunistic, and deeply misleading,” stated the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania.
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Source: RTS, Photo: Printscreen Facebook; Antonio Ahel / ATAImages