Nicaragua's Recognition of the Occupation of Ukrainian Territories: Response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

• Nicaragua recognized the occupied Ukrainian territories as part of Russia.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers this a violation of international law.
• Ukraine has called on Nicaragua to retract this information.

This is reported by Ukrinform, Ukrayinska Pravda.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine drew attention to the statement of the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, who sent a letter to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, in which he recognizes Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions as part of the Russian Federation.

The statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine noted that if this information is confirmed, Ukraine will consider such actions as gross violations of international law, including the goals and principles of the UN Charter, resolutions of the UN General Assembly, and international obligations of Nicaragua. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reserves the right to respond to these actions in accordance with the level of the severity of the violations.

The ministry emphasized that any "recognition" of the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories contradicts the resolution of the UN General Assembly 3314 (XXIX) "Definition of Aggression," which clearly states that territories acquired as a result of aggression cannot be recognized as legitimate.

The Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, as well as Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia remain undisputed parts of Ukrainian territory. Any so-called "referendums," "consultations" or statements of the occupiers, as well as "recognition" by these countries of illegal actions are legally void and have no legal consequences.

The Ministry also reminded that in 2020, Ukraine already imposed sectoral sanctions in response to Nicaragua's opening of a honorary consulate in the occupied Russia's Simferopol. Ukraine demands timely and official retraction of statements from Nicaragua's authorities, which they do not respond to adequately. If the retraction does not occur, the Ukrainian side will consider this as confirmed evidence of the validity of the information.

Tags: Ukraine/Russia/Politics