(Kyiv) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Wednesday evening to end diplomatic relations with Syria, after the Damascus regime recognized the independence of the pro-Russian separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, supported by Moscow since 2014.
Posted at 4:39 p.m.
“There will be no more relations between Ukraine and Syria,” Zelensky said in a video posted on Telegram, saying that “sanctions pressure” against Russia’s ally Damascus “will be even more big “.
“It’s an insignificant story,” he swept away, preferring to highlight the signing with Brussels of an agreement for a “visa-free transport” regime for freight from Ukraine to the European Union.
Syria announced earlier in the day to recognize the independence of the pro-Russian breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, becoming the first foreign country to do so.
Until now only Moscow had recognized in February the independence of these two regions, located in eastern Ukraine, a few days before the start of the Russian invasion.
“In accordance with the common will and desire to establish relations in all areas, Syria has decided to recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic,” a source said. within the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, quoted by the official news agency Sana.
Officials from “the two countries will get in touch to agree on frameworks for strengthening relations, including the establishment of diplomatic relations, in accordance with the rules”, added the same source.
This is not the first time that Syria has expressed its support for territories recognized by Russia as independent.
In 2018, Damascus recognized the independence of the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia.
Syria and Russia have been allies for decades, but ties have been significantly strengthened by the Syrian conflict and Moscow’s military intervention from 2015 alongside Bashar al-Assad’s regime.