Due to the statement made the day before by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky against Kosovo's independence, the Municipality of Pristina has removed a flag with the inscription "Free Ukraine".
"The state of Kosovo must be respected. When Kosovo is not respected, the capital, Pristina, always responds the same way," said the mayor of Pristina, Përparim Rama, in a post on social media.
The flag was placed in the center of Pristina after the outbreak of war, as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine.
Rama said that the people of Kosovo always stand in solidarity with peoples facing war, violence and misunderstanding because "we 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 by belittling the statehood of Kosovo and the sacrifice of its people," he added.
During his first official visit to Belgrade, Zelensky said that his country has not changed its position regarding non-recognition of Kosovo and said that it respects Serbia's territorial integrity and international law.
The Ukrainian leader said his country is grateful to Serbia for respecting Ukraine's territorial integrity, including Crimea - which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
Although Kiev does not recognize Kosovo's independence, Pristina has joined European and US sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The country has also sheltered Ukrainian journalists who fled their country because of the war.
