Mr. Oleksiy Goncharenko speaks in an interview with a local Albanian media about the war and relations with Kosovo. He is a great friend of Albanians and Kosovo in the Ukrainian parliament. Goncharenko is a great supporter of the recognition of Kosovo's independence and its admission to the Council of Europe. While in Ukraine, Goncharenko has formed the group "Friends of Kosovo".
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| Screenshot of Oleksiy Goncharenko from the right while being interviewed by a local Albanian media |
Hello, Mr. Goncharenko, thank you for being with us today. I'd like us to start our conversation with the visit of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to Tirana. He will participate in the peace summit here in Albania. What can we expect from this event, and how do you see the future of Ukraine? Has Zelensky done enough in these two years of fighting against Russia? How can Albania help Ukraine in these moments?
-Yes, it's very important. I'm happy to see President Zelenskyy coming to Albania. The Balkans is a very important region that Russia is trying to destabilize. And the Balkans also have a lot in common with Ukraine. So, we have a common fight. It makes a lot of sense for our president to be in Albania. And I'm sure this visit will be fruitful. And I hope that after this, there will be more cooperation between our countries. I also know that there will be a very high-level representation during this summit, and so there will be an opportunity to discuss not only the Balkans but a much broader view, which is very important.
We know that you are a very good friend of Albania and Kosovo. You have said that Kosovo's independence should be recognized and also it should become a full member of the Council of Europe. We know that you have formed the "Friends of Kosovo" group and a bill in the Ukrainian parliament for the recognition of Kosovo. How has this initiative gone, and when can we expect this recognition to happen?
-I think, unfortunately, Ukrainians and Kosovars have a lot in common. We have experienced genocide. We are fighting for our independence. So, I truly believe that Kosovo deserves recognition. That's why I support Kosovo, and we will support Kosovo on its path towards the Council of Europe and then towards the European Union in the future. And yes, I sponsored the bill in the Ukrainian parliament for the recognition of Kosovo. It has not been approved yet, and I don't think it will be approved during the war, but maybe during this summit in Albania, this will be something that will also be discussed with our president. But it seems like a moment when Ukrainians are living in a situation where rockets are falling on their heads, it's quite difficult for them to understand what urgency there is to make this decision. But I'm sure that after the end of the war, Ukraine will recognize Kosovo as independent states and will build more cooperation with this country.
As for Kosovo, Russia has increasingly used it to attack the West and also NATO, the European Union. The Ukrainian president has said that Putin has a clear goal to destabilize the Western Balkans region, as he emphasized, to start a conflict here. But who is aiding this? So, who are Russia's friends and Putin's allies in the Balkans?
-It is clear that nationalist forces in Serbia are. Russia's friends in the Balkans, this is the only friend of Russia. Everyone else understands and knows how terrible Russia is even for Serbia. But unfortunately, in Serbia, there are forces that see themselves, see Serbia as a small empire in the Balkans, as Russia is a great empire, and they are like a small empire. Unfortunately, because of this, Russia has ground there. And we saw how Russia often tried to destabilize the Balkans, by organizing a coup in Montenegro, by trying to ignite Bosnia and Herzegovina, by pushing Serbia to be more aggressive towards Kosovo. In general, Russia is part of what I call the "axis of evil", where Russia, Iran, and North Korea are involved, countries that want to set the world on fire as much as possible. They stand behind the war in the Middle East. I'm sure they stand behind the crisis in the Red Sea. They want to destabilize Africa and want to destabilize the Balkans.
Do you think Russia had a hand in the attack on Banja last September in Kosovo?
I'm sure Russia has been involved in its preparation. At least Russia was happy that it happened.
Serbia has declared itself a very good friend of Russia. And President Vucic recently stated that Russia is winning in Ukraine. He has always refused to sanction Russia for the war started two years ago. On the other hand, Kosovo has always supported Ukraine in sanctions against Russia by training military personnel, etc. Why does Ukraine not see clearly in this what is happening and does not act to get closer to Kosovo?
-If we talk about recognition, I already told you the situation here, so I believe it's a matter of time. If we talk about Serbia and Mr. Vucic, he is trying to play a double game. They are also trying to show a kind of support for Ukraine. They are also trying to show their European aspirations. I don't believe President Vucic's words, but Ukraine is really in a difficult situation now. We are in an existential war. Don't forget this. So, it is very important for us to work absolutely with all parties. But speaking of President Vucic, I can tell you that he is wrong. Ukraine is not losing this war. Russia is not winning. At the end of the day, victory will be ours. And in reality, victory is already ours, because Putin tried to erase Ukraine from the map of the world, and he failed.
To conclude, what is your message or advice for Kosovo and Serbia to reach an agreement that will bring peace and normalization, both for Kosovo and Serbia, and to avoid the repetition of the Russia-Ukraine scenario? To avoid a war, as we see Serbia is arming itself mainly from Russia and threatening Kosovo. What can you advise on this issue?
-My advice is very simple: Kosovo needs to be prepared to defend itself. Because nobody in the world will defend you except yourselves. This is the lesson we learned in Ukraine. And only if you show resilience as you did when fighting for your independence, then allies from other countries may come to help you. But above all, you need to be ready. My advice for Serbia is also straightforward: it needs to treat itself like Germany did before reunification. When Germany was an empire, it was a constant menace to all its neighbors and to the Germans themselves. Millions of Germans died for nothing. That's the reality. And after Germany, through de-imperialization following the end of World War II, became a normal country without any imperialistic ideas, then Germany became a wonderful, wealthy, beautiful country, so respected worldwide. The same goes for Russia and Serbia. If they want to become normal countries, they need to stop being empires and move away from this way of thinking. This is my advice for Serbia: live in peace with your neighbors. And in that case, I'm sure even Serbia has a bright future. Otherwise, there will be constant bloodshed.
Mr. Goncharenko, thank you for your words and time and for being with us today. Thank you.