The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has called the decision of the transitional government of Mali to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine “short-sighted and hasty”. This is reported by Komersant ukrainskyi
with reference to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The decision of the Transitional Government of the Republic of Mali to break off diplomatic relations with Ukraine is short-sighted and hasty, given that Ukraine, as a victim of unprovoked full-scale armed aggression by the Russian Federation, is trying in every way, with the support of the international community, to restore justice and respect for international law, which is designed to protect all countries of the world, including African countries, from encroachments on their sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” the statement said.
The ministry also noted that Ukraine supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries and “strongly rejects” the transitional government’s accusations of Ukraine’s alleged “support for international terrorism”.
The Ministry recalled that in the twentieth century, as one of the founders of the United Nations, Ukraine actively supported the right of the peoples of Africa to independence and decolonisation, including the Republic of Mali.
“Instead, the Russian Federation, continuing its unprovoked full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, is destroying the international security architecture, violating the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter, which, in particular, guarantee the right of African countries to a free future,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Ukraine is known in Africa as an important contributor to regional security. In particular, its Blue Helmets contingent has made a significant contribution to a number of peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the United Nations, including from 2019 to 2022 as part of the UN Mission in Mali.
“It is regrettable that the Transitional Government of the Republic of Mali has decided to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine without conducting a thorough examination of the facts and circumstances of the incident in northern Mali, as well as without providing any evidence of Ukraine’s involvement in the incident,” the statement said.
The MFA drew attention to the fact that the Transitional Government of Mali ignores the fact that 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.
“Ukraine reserves the right to take all necessary political and diplomatic measures in response to the unfriendly actions of the Transitional Government of the Republic of Mali,” the ministry concluded.
Earlier, the transitional government of Mali announced that it was breaking off diplomatic relations with Ukraine. Bamako accused Kyiv of helping the Tuareg rebels who defeated a convoy of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner PMC, calling it “support for international terrorism”.