Syria has made an announcement on Wednesday that it was cutting diplomatic relations with Kyiv in a move of “reciprocity” after Ukraine announced it would be considering the same measure at the end of June.
Ukraine has planned to cut ties after the Syrian government’s official recognition of the pro-Russian separatist states, the so-called Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, which are two Ukrainian regions under occupation since 2014.
A source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry said that the “Syrian Arab Republic has decided to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and in response to the government’s decision Ukrainian”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 29 to end diplomatic relations with Syria after the Damascus regime recognised the independence of the pro-Russian separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine, backed by Moscow since 2014.
At that time, President Zelenskyy said, “There will be no more relations between Ukraine and Syria.” Syria also announced at the end of June that it would recognise the independence of the pro-Russian separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, becoming the first foreign country to do so.
Until now, only Moscow had recognised the independence of these two Ukrainian regions in February, a few days before the beginning of the Russian invasion.
It is not the first time that Syria has shown its support for territories whose independence Russia recognises.