Ukraine decides against hosting Kosovo teams

Ukraine decides against hosting Kosovo teams

This is a result of a recent political decision by Ukraine as part of its "consistent policy of non-recognition of Kosovo's independence," Aleksandrovych noted.

"We will not welcome the Kosovo delegations at home because we do not recognize Kosovo's travel documents (passports). The decision was not an easy one to make, considering that all other European countries, including the Russian Federation, have already recognized Kosovo's travel documents," he noted in a written statement submitted to Tanjug.

The decision "is another proof of our long-standing friendly relations" with Serbia, he added.

Meanwhile, on Fox Sports

The qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia kicked off this week, with Kosovo playing its first game since the decisions of UEFA and FIFA earlier this year to admit the Kosovo Football Association to their membership.

Kosovo's team played Finland away in a game that ended in a 1-1 draw. This sporting event was also covered in the United States - where the local media giant Fox Sports chose an interesting flag to represent Serbia's breakaway province.

Namely, Kosovo was represented with the flag of the United States. The U.S. was among the first countries to recognize Kosovo, after ethnic Albanians there unilaterally declared independence in early 2008. Serbia considers the proclamation a violation of its territorial integrity.

Kosovo's football team will play the next game in Albania, against Croatia. Beside Finland and Ukraine, the qualifying group also includes Turkey and Iceland.