Syria announced on Wednesday (20) that its diplomatic relations with Ukraine were cut in accordance with the principle of “reciprocity”, after the Ukrainian government took the same decision because of the recognition of the independence of the pro-Russian separatist republics.

Syria “decided to break off diplomatic relations with Ukraine, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and in response to the decision of the Ukrainian government,” a source from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs quoted the official SANA news agency as saying.

Syria announced in late June that it would recognize the independence of the pro-Russian separatist republics Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Until then, only Moscow had recognized the independence of these two Ukrainian regions in February, just days before the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 29 that he was ending diplomatic relations with Syria. “There will no longer be relations between Ukraine and Syria,” Zelensky said at the time.