Pyongyang sides with Moscow.

North Korea has officially recognized the two pro-Russian breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent countries, North Korean state media reported Thursday morning.

This recognition comes after the Pyongyang government sent letters to the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk and People's Republic of Lugansk on Wednesday, the official KCNA news agency said.

In these letters, the North Korean regime says it has "decided to recognize the independence" of these two regions and "expressed the desire to develop state relations with countries with the idea of ​​independence, peace and friendship ".

The Kremlin accused of being behind the separatists

North Korea is the third country, along with Russia and its ally Syria, to recognize these two territories as independent states.

The Kremlin has moreover justified its military offensive against Ukraine launched on February 24 by the need to defend these separatist entities.

Furthermore, Moscow is widely seen, despite its denials, as the instigator of these separatist movements in 2014, in the wake of its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.

The two separatist territories said on Wednesday that they had been recognized as states by North Korea, which did not make an immediate announcement.

The Donetsk and Luhansk separatists' diplomatic representations in Moscow had each posted a photo of their respective representatives on Telegram, receiving what was presented as a letter of recognition from North Korean Ambassador Sin Hong Chol.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry for its part denounced on Wednesday North Korea's decision to recognize these territories described by kyiv as "temporarily occupied by Russia".

“As a result (…), Ukraine announces that it is cutting all relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea”, official name of the North of the peninsula, specified the ministry.

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