Ukraine Says Mali Breaking Diplomatic Relations is 'Short-Sighted'

Kyiv on Monday criticised Mali's move to break off diplomatic relations with Ukraine in a row over alleged Ukrainian support to separatist rebels in the Russia-allied African country.

Mali has accused Kyiv of supplying intelligence to rebel troops who then reportedly used it to kill dozens of mercenaries from Russia's Wagner paramilitary group and Malian soldiers in a battle last month.

Mali said Sunday it was breaking diplomatic ties with Kyiv with "immediate effect", pointing to a cryptic statement by a spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence division which it said admitted involvement.

Ukraine's foreign ministry said Monday that the decision was "short-sighted and hasty" in a statement that criticised Russia's military presence in Africa.

It called the move "regrettable" and said Mali had gone ahead "without conducting a thorough examination of the facts and circumstances ... and without providing any evidence of Ukraine's involvement".

In three days of intense fighting in the north of the country last month, Tuareg-led separatists said they had killed 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian soldiers.

Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine's GUR military intelligence unit, was quoted by state media as saying: "The rebels received all the necessary information they needed," without elaborating.

Ukraine on Monday criticised Russia's Wagner group, which recruited thousands of prisoners from Russian jails to support Moscow's invasion, and has been active across Africa for many years.

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The Ukrainian military regularly reports that Russian forces are resorting to ‘meat assaults,’ sending wounded or poorly trained fighters into battle as cannon fodder.

"Kremlin-controlled military structures, including Wagner, use terrorist methods and are directly involved in numerous war crimes, killings of civilians and ill-treatment of prisoners of war both in Ukraine and in Africa," it said in a statement.

In a statement on Monday evening, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned "any attempt to drag the region into current geopolitical confrontations".

The regional bloc, which Mali left in January, also expressed "its firm disapproval and condemnation of any foreign interference in the region that may constitute a threat to peace and security in West Africa".

Since seizing power in a 2020 coup, Mali's military leaders have made it a priority to retake all of the country from separatists and jihadist forces linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Under Colonel Assimi Goita, the junta broke off its traditional alliance with former colonial ruler France and has turned toward Russia.