Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, who also serves as deputy prime minister, stressed that her small Balkan nation, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, is constantly reminded of the aggressive intentions of both Serbia and its ally Russia. “Ukraine has not recognized the Republic of Kosovo as a state, but we really believe that we know exactly what Ukraine is going through,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And we know that there is only one solution, not only for Ukraine, but for Europe. It can only be Russia losing this war and Ukraine winning this war. Otherwise, Europe should prepare for other conflicts in our continent,” she warned. Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, has plunged Europe into what is considered its most serious security crisis since World War II, which raged from 1939-1945. Kosovo’s population was subjected to war crimes and other atrocities by Serbian security forces in the 1990s, an experience that led Kosovo to seek independence. “Even though Kosovo is a small state with very modest possibilities to help, we tried to be very vocal in our support for Ukraine and we did not hesitate to show our unconditional support and sympathy to the people and the state of Ukraine,” Gërvalla-Schwarz said. Moscow’s latest threat toward Kosovo came this week, after a Russian Telegram channel called for a cyberattack against Kosovar government websites following the announcement Tuesday by Kosovo’s defense minister at a conference in Warsaw that it would send additional military aid to Kyiv. Kosovo’s top diplomat on Wednesday inaugurated Kosovo’s first consular mission in Poland, part of an effort to improve economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries. Poland recognized Kosovo’s statehood in 2008, but the two countries did not establish diplomatic relations at the time. For now, Kosovo’s mission has the status of a consulate general, but the minister said she hopes it will be a step toward having an embassy in Poland. Gërvalla-Schwarz’s visit to Poland this week coincided with a visit to the Serbian capital, Belgrade, by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who pledged to deepen ties. The Kosovar foreign minister said the Chinese leader’s visit has implications for Europe because it shows that while Serbia is a candidate for the European Union, it is “more and more identified with the opponents of the Western European democracies.” Serbian forces fought a war from 1998-99 with ethnic Albanian separatists in what was then the province of Kosovo. Some 13,000 people, the vast majority of them ethnic Albanians, were killed before a 78-day NATO bombing campaign drove out Serb forces. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but the government in Belgrade doesn’t recognize its former province as a separate country. Also Read: Kosovo criticizes conditions for joining the Council of Europe (Portuguese version)