Syria announced Wednesday that it was severing ties with Ukraine in support of its close ally Russia, adding that the move was a response to a similar step by Kyiv.
"The Syrian Arab Republic has decided to break diplomatic relations with Ukraine in conformity with the principle of reciprocity and in response to the decision of the Ukrainian government," a foreign ministry official, who was not identified, told the state news agency SANA.
Ukraine already announced it was severing ties late last month after Syria recognized the Russian-backed breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February has killed thousands and displaced millions from their homes, but also hampered shipments from one of the world's biggest exporters of wheat and other grain, sparking fears of global food shortages.
Russia's military intervention in Syria's civil war in 2015 has turned the tide of the conflict in favor of Moscow's ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad.
