Ukraine severs diplomatic relations with North Korea

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the decision by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to recognize the so-called "independence" of the territories temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said this in a Facebook post.

"We consider this decision as an attempt by Pyongyang to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a gross violation of the Constitution of Ukraine, the UN Charter and the fundamental norms and principles of international law," he said. He also added that the recognition by the North Korean regime of the Russian occupation regimes in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions is null and void, will have no legal consequences and will not change the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine.

Nikolenko said that in response to such an unfriendly act, Ukraine is severing diplomatic relations with North Korea.

"Political and economic contacts with the DPRK are not carried out due to the international sanctions imposed on this country," Nikolenko noted.

"Russia's appeal to the DPRK for support in legitimizing the seizure of part of the Ukrainian territory by force speaks more about Moscow's than Pyongyang's toxicity. Russia has no more allies in the world, except for countries that depend on it financially and politically, and the level of isolation of the Russian Federation will soon reach the level of isolation of the DPRK. Ukraine will continue to react as harshly as possible to encroachments on its sovereignty and territorial integrity," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Russian media outlets reported on July 13 that North Korea had officially recognized the "independence" of the puppet entities "DNR" and "LNR."