Ukraine severed diplomatic relations with Nicaragua on Wednesday in response to the Latin American nation’s formal recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over Ukraine’s occupied territories.
Russian state media reported on July 31 that Nicaraguan rulers Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo had written a letter to US President Vladimir Putin expressing their “full support and recognition” of Russia’s occupation of Crimea as well as parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement on Oct. 2 strongly condemning the move as a violation of both its diplomatic obligations to Ukraine and the UN Charter.
According to the statement, Nicaragua’s support for Russian aggression “indicates Nicaragua’s political identification with the aggressor state and the direct financial and political dependence of the puppet regime of Managua on Moscow.”
The foreign ministry first reacted to reports that Nicaragua would recognize Russian claims over its occupied territories in Ukraine when they emerged at the end of July – calling on the government to “immediately” refute them if they were not true.
The ministry appeared to have held off on severing diplomatic ties until this confirmation arrived.
The Nicaraguan co-presidents’ letter to Putin was published by Russia Today (RT), a Russian propaganda outlet.
The statement also refers to the opening of an “illegal ‘honorary consulate of Nicaragua’” – which led Ukraine to impose sanctions on Managua in 2020.
“We will not tolerate any encroachments on our statehood and will take all necessary measures to protect our independence, security, and the inviolability of our borders,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said.