After pro-Russian separatists in the east of the nation claimed Pyongyang had recognised their self-declared republics, Ukraine announced on Wednesday that it was cutting off ties with North Korea.
North Korea followed another Russian ally, Syria, in recognising the purported Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic last month.
In a statement, the Ukrainian foreign ministry criticised North Korea for its decision to recognise areas it had previously referred to as “temporarily occupied by Russia.”
The self-proclaimed republics were recognised by Russia just before it invaded its neighbouring, pro-European Ukraine on February 24.
Earlier on Wednesday, the representatives of the separatists in Moscow published a picture on Telegram showing their representative Olga Makeyeva accepting what she claimed was a letter of recognition from the ambassador of North Korea, Sin Hong-chol.
North Korea has not yet offered any comments.
The eastern Ukrainian coal area of Donbas is home to Donetsk and the neighbouring city of Lugansk.
Pro-Russian forces have had a limited amount of authority over the area since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine.Russia has partially justified the 2022 offensive by citing the necessity to safeguard the two secessionist entities.
