Ukraine Cuts Ties With Syria Over Damascus’ Recognition of Breakaway States
Ukraine has cut its ties with Syria after Damascus recognized the breakaway states of Donetsk and Lugansk. Syria on Wednesday became the first country other than Russia to recognize the independence of eastern Ukraine’s two separatist republics located in the Donbas region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the end of diplomatic ties between Kiev and Damascus shortly after the Syrian government announcement. Syria has supported Russia in such incidents before; in 2018, Damascus recognized the states of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent from the former Soviet state of Georgia, which then severed ties with Syria. Russia has supported the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad throughout the over a decade-long Syrian civil war, and has helped Assad hold on to power. During that time, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on foreign Iran-backed troops in Syria, something that Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned a blind eye to.