BRUSSELS, August 12. /TASS/. Politico wrote that Vladimir Zelensky "fumbled" his public statement in Belgrade when he said that Ukraine would not recognize self-proclaimed Kosovo, thus straining Kiev’s relations with Pristina.

The European publication noted that a Ukrainian flag was removed from central Pristina the following day.

Zelensky’s weekend visit to Serbia "triggered reverberations" in the Balkans before he had even returned to Kiev, Politico wrote. Zelensky "waded into the thorniest regional dispute" by saying that Ukraine would continue not to recognize Kosovo’s independence, it added.

The publication noted that Albania also reacted sharply to the statement.

Politico said that Zelensky may have sought to secure Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s favor in the hope of obtaining permission to supply the Kiev regime with Serbian-made weapons and ammunition of Soviet design.