Syria Breaks Diplomatic Ties with Ukraine

On Wednesday, Syria severe its diplomatic ties with Ukraine; the move is in retaliation for a similar Ukrainian step, according to the SANA news agency.

An official source in the Syrian Foreign Ministry reported that the country decided to cut its diplomatic relations with Ukraine, in response to the decision of the Ukrainian government in this regard.

Damascus recalls that the Ukrainian government has practically severed relations since 2018, when it refused to renew residency visas for Syrian diplomats working at their country’s embassy in Kyiv, which made it impossible for them to carry out their duties, according to the source.

The source mentioned that the embassy’s work was suspended at that time because of the “hostile attitude” of the Ukrainian government.

Damascus took such a step weeks after Ukraine took the same step following the Syrian government’s recognition of the pro-Russian separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.

This move promoted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider that his country’s ties with Syria have “ended,” pointing out that the sanctions pressure on Damascus will “increase in intensity.”

Damascus had taken a pro-Russian stance in the Ukraine crisis, even before the outbreak of war on February 24.

That is not the first time Damascus has supported Russia, the country had previously recognized in May 2018 the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Ossetia in Georgia, which are under Russian control.