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| Ambassador of Ukraine to Serbia, Volodymyr Tolkach. |
Ukraine's Ambassador to Serbia, Volodymyr Tolkach, stated on Tuesday that voices within Ukrainian society are increasingly advocating for the recognition of Kosovo's independence, and a certain number of deputies in the Ukrainian Parliament are supporting the stance for the possible recognition of Kosovo, Radio Free Europe (RFE) reports.
However, Tolkach emphasized that Ukraine's position regarding Kosovo's recognition remains unchanged, as the issue of "developing and implementing foreign policy in accordance with Ukrainian legislation falls under the jurisdiction of the President of Ukraine."
Ukraine does not recognize Kosovo's independence, declared in February 2008.
Tolkach made these comments after an interview with the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, Oleksandr Merezhko, for Kosovo's T7 channel.
On August 7th, Merezhko had stated that "recognition of Kosovo by Ukraine is being discussed in Kyiv."
In a media statement on August 8th, Tolkach highlighted that "it is particularly important for Ukraine to respect and ensure the protection of international law norms by all states, especially concerning territorial integrity and internationally recognized state borders."
"The position of Ukraine is principled and consistent – Ukraine respects Serbia's territorial integrity," Ambassador Tolkach's statement said.
However, Tolkach mentioned that Kosovo's leadership "has taken a clear stance in condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine, particularly by sanctioning the aggressor."
He acknowledged that it is not surprising that voices advocating for Kosovo's independence are growing within Ukrainian society.
"As a democratic country that respects freedom of speech, Ukraine cannot restrict the expression of the opinions of other politicians, professional circles, or the public," he emphasized.
Tolkach noted that Serbia, despite declaring support for Ukraine, is actively engaged in political dialogue and economic cooperation with Russia.
"Therefore, we once again urge Serbia, a candidate for EU membership, to harmonize its foreign policy, particularly regarding the Russian Federation's aggression against another candidate country – Ukraine, in line with the common stance of the European family," Tolkach said.
On the other hand, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has stated that Ukraine "will lose everything it has in hand within a day" if it recognizes Kosovo's independence, as RFE reports.
He claims that Ukraine would completely lose its political credibility within a day.
"After this, how can Ukraine claim to adhere to international law? I am convinced that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky won't throw this ace," Vučić said on August 8th.
Ukraine has been facing Russian aggression since February 2022 when Moscow initiated its invasion. In 2014, Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.
He added that Ukraine is a friendly state to Serbia and there are no problems in the relationship between the two countries.
Vučić made these comments during a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, in Belgrade, where they addressed questions about a letter from lawmakers from European Union (EU) countries and the United States, who called for tougher measures against Serbia.
On August 7th, dozens of politicians from Europe and the United States sent a letter to high-ranking officials of the EU and Washington, urging them to change their approach toward Kosovo and Serbia.