Ukraine’s MFA responds to reports of Nicaragua's support for Russian occupation policy

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that it had drawn attention to reports by leading world media outlets regarding a message from the leadership of the Republic of Nicaragua to the Russian President with support and recognition of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine as part of the Russian Federation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that if this information is confirmed, Nicaragua's actions will be regarded as a violation of international law.

"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," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry recalled that any recognition of the occupation contradicts UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX) "Definition of Aggression" and Resolution ES-11/4 of October 12, 2022.

"The Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, as well as the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia regions were and remain 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," the ministry noted.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled that in 2020, Ukraine had already imposed sectoral sanctions against Nicaragua due to the opening of an honorary consulate in occupied Simferopol.

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.