(8 May 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Warsaw – 08 May 2024
1. Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister during interview
2. Close of Gërvalla-Schwarz
3. Kosovo flag and inscription reading (Kosvar) "Consulate General of the Republic of Kosovo in Warsaw"
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister:
"Ukraine hasn’t recognized the Republic of Kosovo as a state, but we really believe that we know exactly what Ukraine is going through and we know that there is only one solution, not only for Ukraine, but for Europe as such. It can only be Russia to lose the war and Ukraine to win this war. Otherwise, Europe should prepare for other conflicts in our continent."
5. Various of Gërvalla-Schwarz during interview
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister:
"While Kosovo is a small state with very modest possibilities to help, we have tried to be very helpful with Ukraine and have not hesitated to show our unconditioned support and sympathy to the people and to the state of Ukraine."
7. Kosovo flag and inscription reading (Polish) "Consulate General of the Republic of Kosovo in Warsaw"
8. Various of Gërvalla-Schwarz during interview
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister:
"Serbia is more and more identifying itself with the adversaries of the European Western democracies. And being the proxy of Russia in our region, being the only European state that has not closed the airspace for Russia, being the only European state where Wagners, Sputnik and others are present, then it’s very concerning not only the neighborhood but the security in Europe as well."
10. Wide of Gërvalla-Schwarz during interview
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister:
"You cannot be at the same time a candidate state of the European Union and be the proxy of Russia in these times where Russia has declared the war not only to Ukraine but to the West as such."
12. Various of Gërvalla-Schwarz during interview
STORYLINE:
Kosovo’s foreign minister said Wednesday that her country is convinced that Russia must lose the military operation in Ukraine in order for conflict not to spread further in Europe, stressing that her young nation’s support for Ukraine is unconditional even though Kyiv has not recognized Kosovo’s independence.
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Kosovo’s the foreign minister and deputy prime minister, said her small Baltic nation, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, is constantly reminded of the aggressive intentions of Russia, Serbia’s key ally.
“Ukraine hasn’t recognized the Republic of Kosovo as a state, but we really believe that we know exactly what Ukraine is going through,” she told The Associated Press in an interview.
“And we know that there is only one solution, not only for Ukraine, but for Europe,” she said.
“It can only be Russia to lose the war and Ukraine to win this war. Otherwise, Europe should prepare for other conflicts in our continent.”
Like Ukrainians today, the people of Kosovo were the targets of war crimes and other atrocities by Serbia’s security forces in the 1990s, an experience that led Kosovo to seek independence.
“While Kosovo is a small state with very modest possibilities to help, we have tried to be very helpful with Ukraine and show our unconditioned support and sympathy to the people and to the state of Ukraine,” Gërvalla-Schwarz told the AP.
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