Russia Understands Motives Prompting Mali to Sever Diplomatic Ties With Ukraine - Diplomat
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik on Wednesday that Moscow understands the motives that prompted the Malian authorities to sever diplomatic relations with Kiev.
She specified that Kiev cooperates with terrorists.
"We understand the motives that prompted the Malian authorities to sever diplomatic ties with the Kiev regime. The fact that Kiev is cooperating with terrorists is not at all surprising," the spokeswoman said.
She recalled that "the Transition Government of the Republic of Mali issued on August 4 an official statement on the 'immediate' severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine." She added that "it was prompted by statements by Ukrainian officials about Kiev's assistance for terrorist forces that attacked a convoy of Malian servicepeople in northern Mali in late July."
"The said statement strongly condemns aggressive actions and hostility of Ukrainian authorities, who ignore the position of Mali that consistently calls for a peaceful settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict," Zakharova said.
"Malian authorities warned the international community and countries assisting Kiev that this support will be seen as aiding international terrorism and called on Africans to condemn Ukraine's 'undermining actions' that 'threaten' the stability of the continent,'" she said, adding that Mali drew attention "to the accuracy of the 'diagnosis' made by Moscow, which has repeatedly warned of the 'neo-Nazi and despicable' nature of the policy of [Ukrainian President] Volodymyr Zelenskyy's regime, which has made an 'alliance' with international terrorism."
"Appreciation was expressed to Mali's friendly states who 'showed solidarity' amid attacks 'carried out with the support of foreign sponsors,'" she said.
Kiev, while being unable to defeat Russia on the battlefield, decided to open a "second front" in Africa, supporting terrorist groups in African states friendly to Moscow, the spokeswoman added.
"It [Kiev] continues to use terrorist methods in the territory of our country - commits sabotage and political assassinations, shells civilian infrastructure regularly," Zakharova said.
"Unable to defeat Russia on the battlefield, V. Zelensky's criminal regime decided to open a 'second front' in Africa and is pandering to terrorist groups in states on the continent friendly to Moscow," she said.
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"[We] will continue to draw the attention of the international community, including within multilateral platforms, to such frankly barbaric behavior on the part of Kiev," she said.
She added that "as events show, the terrorist nature of the Kiev regime is becoming more and more evident to the entire world."
