Russian ally Syria breaks diplomatic relations with Ukraine

DAMASCUS: Syria announced that it was breaking ties with Ukraine, and supporting Russia, its close ally on Wednesday. This announcement comes as a response to a similar move made by Kyiv.

An unidentified foreign ministry official told SANA, the state news agency, "The Syrian Arab Republic has decided to break diplomatic relations with Ukraine in conformity with the principle of reciprocity and in response to the decision of the Ukrainian government".

Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President announced late last month that he was cutting ties with Syria after the Russian-backed breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine were recognised by Syria.

"There will no longer be relations between Ukraine and Syria," Zelensky said at the time, AFP reported.

Located in the Donbas region at the centre of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the independence of the states of Donetsk and Lugansk was recognized by Moscow in February.

Besides Russia, Syria is the first country to recognize its independence. In 2018, the government of President Bashar al-Assad, heavily dependent on Russian support in the civil war that has gripped his country for decades, had already recognized two other Russian-sponsored breakaway republics.

After gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 19991, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are internationally recognized as part of Georgia, but their independence is recognised by Russia and a few other countries.