As controversial as President William Ruto's trip to the Vatican was, it is now emerging that he has stirred a "diplomatic storm" in Europe after a brief meeting with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, despite previous protests.
The initial uproar began last month after Kenya officially recognised Kosovo as an independent state on March 26. This move was expected to strain diplomatic relations with Serbia, which is strongly supported by the Kremlin and Beijing at the United Nations.
This recognition was marked by a signing ceremony, which was shared on social media by former Kosovo President Behgjet Pacolli. President Ruto’s move made Kenya the first country in five years to officially recognise Kosovo.
Ruto's meeting with Osmani at the Vatican during Pope Francis' burial on Saturday appeared to dismiss earlier diplomatic concerns raised by Serbia.
''Always a pleasure to meet Kosovo's great friend," Osmani shared shortly after the meeting with Ruto, a picture that was widely shared by curious Kenyan social media users.
However, Kenya and Kosovo seem to have great bilateral discussions and developments amid the standoff, with the Kosovo president confirming that they discussed steps on enhancing the bilateral ties.
"Always a pleasure to meet Kosovo's great friend, President William Ruto, and discuss next steps in strengthening our bilateral relations, bringing the people of Kosovo and Kenya even closer," she stressed.
In 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, but it has yet to secure membership in the United Nations due to strong opposition from Serbia and its allies, including the Kremlin and China, who have veto power in the UN.
As a result, President Ruto's decision in March to recognise Kosovo was condemned by Serbia as "an unacceptable and hostile act," with the country pledging to take appropriate action in response.
Serbia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs swiftly responded, strongly condemning Kenya's decision to recognise Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. In its statement, Serbia all but severed diplomatic ties with Kenya, asserting that President Ruto’s move violated the UN Charter, which it claims safeguards its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Serbia argued that the recognition of Kosovo contravened international law and directly breached United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, which explicitly guarantees Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Locally, Ruto has been seen as a ''diplomatic flip-flopper'', with instances such as his alignment with Sudan's militant Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
On April 24, Kenya also sided with the People’s Republic of China in opposing any form of Taiwanese independence, as part of its efforts to strengthen relations with the Asian nation.
A day earlier, Ruto lashed out at the United Nations Security Council’s permanent members, accusing them of fueling global instability by taking sides in international conflicts and failing to uphold impartiality.
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