KOSOVO, UKRAINE AND THE ALBANIAN NATIONAL INTEREST – WHOM SHOULD WE SUPPORT? By Flamur Buçpapaj

KOSOVO, UKRAINE AND THE ALBANIAN NATIONAL INTEREST – WHOM SHOULD WE SUPPORT?
By Flamur Buçpapaj
At a time when the world is experiencing some of the greatest geopolitical changes since the end of the Cold War, Albanians must be clearer than ever about their friends, allies, and national interests. The war in Ukraine, the confrontation between Russia and the West, the issue of Kosovo, and the changing security balance in the Balkans are not distant events. They directly affect Albania, Kosovo, and the future of Albanians in the region.
In this reality, we must make an important distinction: a country may have diplomatic relations with us, may support a particular position at a given moment, but that does not necessarily mean that it is our strategic ally. Albanians should assess international relations on the basis of concrete actions, the history of those relations, and long-term interests.
Kosovo is the most important test of this policy.
Kosovo’s independence is not an ordinary diplomatic issue for Albanians. It is the result of a long historical process, the resistance of the people of Kosovo, NATO’s intervention, and the decisive support of the United States and major Western countries. For this reason, every country that recognizes Kosovo and respects its right to exist as an independent state should be viewed positively by Albanians.
In this context, Ukraine is a country with which Albania should maintain good relations and strong cooperation. But Albanians have the right to expect political partnership to be accompanied by clear positions regarding Kosovo. If we ask the world to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, it is equally legitimate for us to demand respect for Kosovo’s sovereignty and independence.
This is a principle that must not be subject to double standards.
If international law is to be respected, it must be respected for everyone. If the borders and sovereignty of one state must be protected, the same principle must apply to Kosovo. Albanians cannot remain indifferent to the way different states approach the issue of Kosovo.
But an important clarification must also be made here. Russia’s position on Kosovo should not be interpreted as Russian recognition of Kosovo’s independence. Russia does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state and continues to oppose its membership in various international organizations. Russian statements referring to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding Kosovo’s declaration of independence have largely been used as political and legal arguments in relation to other issues.
Therefore, Albanians must remain realistic. We should not build illusions on statements that can be interpreted in different ways. The national interest requires us to look at the facts.
And the facts show that the strongest and most consistent support for the security of Kosovo and Albania has come from the United States and the Euro-Atlantic alliance.
This is why Albanian-American friendship should not be treated as a political slogan. It is a strategic national interest.
The United States played a decisive role in NATO’s intervention in Kosovo, in stopping ethnic cleansing, and in creating the conditions for Kosovo to build its own state. Albania is a NATO member, and our national security is directly linked to this alliance.
Therefore, Albania must be clear in its foreign policy: the alliance with the United States and NATO is the strategic foundation from which we must not retreat.
This does not mean that Albania should become hostile toward other countries. On the contrary, Albanian diplomacy should be open, pragmatic, and active. We should maintain good relations with Ukraine, Turkey, the countries of the European Union, Arab countries, and every other state where common economic, political, or diplomatic interests exist.
But bilateral relations must not replace strategic alliances.
Albania must learn from history. A small country cannot survive by relying only on emotional declarations. It must build a strong economy, a modern military, active diplomacy, and stable alliances.
This is also where the issue of Ukraine comes in.
The war in Ukraine has shown that European security cannot be taken for granted. It has shown that states must have capable armed forces, modern technology, air defense, drones, electronic warfare capabilities, cyber capabilities, and defense industries. Albania cannot remain outside this reality.
We must invest much more in national defense and technology, making the Albanian military a modern force within NATO. This is not militarization of the country. It is a state responsibility at a time when warfare is changing every day.
If Serbia continues to modernize its military and increase its military capabilities, Albanians must respond by strengthening security, not with fear. Our response should be stronger diplomacy, a more modern military, a stronger economy, and deeper alliances with the United States and NATO.
This is also why Albania should seek more American investment in energy, technology, infrastructure, and defense. American investment is not merely economic capital. In many cases, it brings technology, standards, jobs, security, and stronger strategic links with the West.
Albania’s interest should be to become an important destination for American investment in the Balkans.
But we must also pursue smart diplomacy toward Ukraine. Albania should support Ukraine based on the principle of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, because this is the same principle that we defend for Kosovo. At the same time, however, we must remind our partners that the issue of Kosovo cannot be forgotten.
Albanians should demand diplomatic reciprocity and mutual respect.
We cannot expect others to understand us if we ourselves are not clear about what we want. Albania and Kosovo should have more coordinated diplomacy on strategic issues. We should speak more often with one voice on Kosovo, regional security, and Euro-Atlantic integration.
The greatest mistake would be for Albanians to divide themselves into camps supporting one major power or another as if we were football fans. We should not be fans of foreign powers. We should be defenders of the Albanian national interest.
This means supporting the United States and NATO as strategic alliances, supporting Kosovo as a national cause, supporting Ukraine on the principle of sovereignty, and maintaining pragmatic relations with everyone else.
This is the policy that serves Albania.
The opposite course would have dangerous consequences. An Albania that wavers between geopolitical camps, changes its position according to the interests of the day, and lacks a national strategy risks losing the trust of its allies and weakening its position in the region.
By contrast, an Albania that strengthens its ties with the United States, NATO, and the European Union, supports Kosovo, invests in defense and technology, and conducts active diplomacy can become a more important factor in the Balkans.
Therefore, the question should not simply be: “Should we support Zelensky or Putin?”
That is too narrow a question for such an important national interest.
The real questions are: Which policy serves Albania and Kosovo? Which policy guarantees our security? Which alliances provide us with the strongest guarantees? Who has stood by us when we needed support? And what must we do to have more friends and greater diplomatic influence tomorrow?
The answer must be clear.
Albanians should stand on the side of freedom, democracy, sovereignty, and the Euro-Atlantic alliance. We should be grateful to our true friends, but at the same time we must be capable of defending our interests even when they do not fully coincide with those of a particular partner.
Friendship with the United States must be strengthened. The alliance with NATO must be deepened. Relations with Ukraine should develop on the basis of mutual respect. Kosovo must remain a permanent priority of Albanian foreign policy.
And above all, Albania must become stronger economically, militarily, technologically, and diplomatically.
Because in international politics, respect is not earned through words alone. It is earned through allies, economic strength, military capability, diplomacy, and a state that knows what it wants.
Albanians should not choose between other peoples. Albanians should choose their national interest and the alliances that protect it.
And today, more than ever, that interest requires a strong Albania, a secure Kosovo, a Euro-Atlantic Balkans, and an unwavering friendship with the United States of America.