Ukraine resolutely rejected Nigerʼs accusation of supporting "terrorist groups". The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that they are groundless and do not correspond to reality.
This was reported in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
"Ukraine resolutely rejects any accusations against it of its alleged support for international terrorism, violation of the UN Charter and international law," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Nigerʼs decision to break diplomatic relations with Kyiv was called "a gesture of solidarity with those who chose the path of rapprochement with the terrorist state Russia." The Nigerien authorities have not conducted investigations into the incident in Mali and have not provided any evidence as to the reasons for such a move.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that Ukraine continues to strive to develop relations with all African states on the basis of equality, non-interference in internal affairs and respect for sovereignty.
What preceded
On July 28, it became known that the Tuareg rebels killed and wounded dozens of mercenaries of the PMC “Wagner”. During the shooting, the author of the famous "Wagner" Telegram channel “Gray Zone” Nikita with the call sign “White” [“Belyi”] and a number of influential commanders died. The death of the Wagnerians in Mali was confirmed by the Russian Telegram channel “Razgruzka Wagner”, which is associated with the leadership of the PMC “Wagner”.
After that, the Tuareg rebels published an appeal to Ukrainians in the Ukrainian language. They expressed solidarity with Ukraine in the fight against Russia and offered to hand over the captured mercenaries of the PMC "Wagner".
On August 5, Mali severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine. The transitional government was outraged by the words of the representative of Ukrainian intelligence Andrii Yusov, which allegedly indicate support for the Tuareg rebels — in one of his broadcasts, Yusov said that the Tuareg rebels "received the necessary information that allowed for a successful operation against Russian war criminals."
The agency also accused the Ukrainian government of aggression and undermining the sovereignty of Mali. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called this step "short-sighted and hasty".
Following Mali, Niger severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine on August 7, accusing Kyiv of supporting "terrorist groups."