TIRANA, Aug 13 (Balkan View) – Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama defended his government’s continued support for Ukraine on Thursday, rejecting calls to reconsider that backing after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated in Belgrade that Kyiv would not recognise Kosovo.
In a post on X, Rama said Zelenskyy’s position on Kosovo was wrong but argued that it should not alter Albania’s support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.
“My dear friend Volodymyr Zelensky stood in Belgrade and said Ukraine has not changed its position and will not recognize Kosova,” Rama wrote.
“Within the hour, the loudest folk nationalists in Tirana and Pristina were already reaching for the geopolitical calculator: perhaps we should punish Ukraine, stop cheering for the free and mourning for the bombed.”
Rama said some critics had attacked Albania for maintaining its support for Kyiv, while others had gone as far as expressing support for Russia.
“What a shame to lose sight of the simple truth that freedom does not work on cashback,” Rama said.
“Standing against a war of aggression and for a just peace is not a receipt you tear up when the victim of a barbaric aggression disappoints you. It is not a favour traded for a favour, but it is who you are and what you stand for in this messy world.”
Rama portrayed Albania’s support for Ukraine as a matter of principle rather than a diplomatic transaction linked to recognition of Kosovo.
“And fortunately Albania is not a small man calculating who owes whom, but the Europe of the Balkans that shows the way through its faith in freedom, democracy and peace, and through the strength of its example,” he said.
Ukraine is among the European countries that do not recognise Kosovo’s independence. During his visit to Belgrade, Zelenskyy reiterated Kyiv’s position, while Serbia has maintained its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Rama said disagreement with Kyiv over Kosovo and support for Ukraine’s sovereignty were not contradictory positions.
“Ukraine can be, and yes, it is wrong about Kosovo, but its right to be free remains unquestionable, and fighting for that right means fighting for Europe and for ourselves too,” Rama said.
“These truths can live perfectly well in the same sentence. Albania is grown enough to carry both and will carry both.”
He concluded: “So yes: FREE UKRAINE. Today, tomorrow and always.”