Ukraine has severed diplomatic relations with North Korea, which Kyiv condemns for recognizing Russian-occupied breakaway regions that have declared independence.
North Korea is one of a handful of countries, including Syria and Belarus, that recognize or support the recognition of the “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.
Ukraine maintains these regions are part of its territory, a position for which it has widespread international support.
North Korea’s recognition of the two breakaway regions came on Wednesday. The North Korean ambassador to Russia, Sin Hong-chol, met his Donetsk counterpart Olga Makeyeva in Moscow. Makeyeva said she was confident that “cooperation between countries, which now has official status, will be fruitful and mutually beneficial,” Tass reports.
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1:30 a.m. Chinese and Russian military activity around Japan increased 2.5 times in the four months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, sparking alarm here over a potential escalation.
Releases by Japan’s Ministry of Defense show 90 instances of activity by Chinese and Russian military vessels and aircraft near Japan in the four months after the invasion began. There had been 35 in the four months before.
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A Chinese vessel and Russian vessel entered Japan’s contiguous zone near the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands on July 4. China claims the islands as the Diaoyu.
