Syria Breaks Off Diplomatic Relations With Ukraine in Tit-for-Tat Move

Last month, Kiev cut diplomatic ties with Syria after Damascus had recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.

Syria has decided to cut diplomatic relations with Ukraine in response to a similar decision made by Kiev in June, SANA reported, citing a source in the Syrian foreign ministry.

According to the agency, Damascus believes that Kiev actually severed relations back in 2018, when it refused to extend the visas of Syrian diplomats in Ukraine, preventing them from fulfilling their obligations.

On June 29, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said "there will no longer be relations between Ukraine and Syria" after Damascus had recognized the independence of the People's Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk (DPR and LPR) in the Donbass region.

On June 30, the Ukrainian foreign ministry announced the decision to break diplomatic ties with Damascus, citing Syria's "unfriendly act" to recognize the independence of the Donbass republics.

In February 2022, shortly before Russia launched its special military operation to "demilitarize and de-Nazify" Ukraine, Moscow recognized the sovereignty of the People's Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Syria and North Korea followed in Russia's footsteps by recognizing the DPR and LPR on June 29 and July 13 respectively.

In May of 2014, following a Western-backed coup in Kiev that overthrew democratically-elected President Viktor Yanukovych, political circles in the Donbass organised referendums on the self-determination and outlined plans to establish the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Kiev opposed the move and the then-acting president, Alexander Turchinov, announced an ‘anti-terrorist operation’ in the Donbass, which quickly grew into a full-scale war and resulted in multiple deaths among civilian population.