“The authorities of this country intend to develop friendly state relations with the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, guided by the ideals of sovereignty, peace and friendship,” the Central News Agency of the North reported.

She pointed out that “Yesterday, July 13, the DPRK Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, in which it declared the recognition of these two countries with them in accordance with the ideals of independence, peace and friendship.”

Yesterday, President of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushlin noted that “North Korea has recognized the independence of the Donetsk Republic.” For its part, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced the “severance of diplomatic relations and the termination of all economic and political contacts with North Korea.”