Russia-allied Bashar al-Assad regime cuts ties with Ukraine

The Syrian regime said on Wednesday it was cutting diplomatic ties with Ukraine in a move seen as a show of support for Damascus' main ally Russia.

"The Syrian Arab Republic has decided to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and in response to the Ukrainian government's decision in this regard," the Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing a Foreign Ministry source.

It added that the Ukrainian government had practically severed relations with Syria since 2018, when it refused to renew the residency visas for Syrian diplomats working at the Syrian embassy in Kiev.

The Syrian announcement comes a day after the leaders of Russia, Türkiye and Iran held a summit in Tehran to discuss the situation in war-torn Syria.

Russia has been the main backer of Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad since a 2011 uprising erupted against his rule.

On June 29, the Syrian regime announced recognizing the "independence and sovereignty" of the pro-Russian separatist regions Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.Luhansk and Donetsk are part of the broader Donbass region.

Shortly before the attack on Ukraine at the end of February, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the two separatist regions as independent "people's republics."