The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has drawn attention to reports published by major global media outlets regarding the message sent by the leaders of the Republic of Nicaragua to Russian dictator Putin, in which they express their “full backing and complete recognition of the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia as an integral part of the territory of the Russian Federation”.
If this information is confirmed, Ukraine will consider such actions a gross violation of international law, including the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter, UN General Assembly resolutions, and Nicaragua's international obligations, and will reserve the right to respond in a manner commensurate with the unprecedented level of unfriendly actions.
Don't forget that any “recognition” of the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories directly contradicts UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX), "Definition of Aggression," which clearly states that territorial gains obtained through aggression cannot be recognized as legitimate. In Resolution ES-11/4 of October 12, 2022, the UN General Assembly called on all states, international organizations, and UN specialized agencies not to recognize any changes made by the Russian Federation to the status of Ukraine's Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kherson regions, either separately or collectively, and to refrain from any actions or steps that could be interpreted as recognizing any such changes.
The Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, as well as the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions were and always have been integral parts of Ukrainian territory. Any so-called "referendums," "consultations," or statements by the occupiers, as well as the "recognition" of these illegal actions by third countries, are legally null and void and have no legal consequences.
It should be noted that in 2020, Ukraine already imposed sectoral sanctions in response to Nicaragua opening an honorary consulate in the Ukrainian city of Simferopol, occupied by Russia.
Ukraine demands an immediate and official denial of the media reports by the Nicaraguan authorities if they are not true. If there is no refutation soon, the Ukrainian side will take this as confirmation of the information's veracity, with all the consequences that come with that.
