OREANDA-NEWS Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, commenting to RIA Novosti on Mali's decision to sever relations with Kiev, said that it was understandable to the Russian side, and the fact of Vladimir Zelensky's regime's cooperation with international terrorism was not surprising.

"We understand the motives that prompted the Malian authorities to sever diplomatic relations with the Kiev regime. The fact of Kiev's cooperation with terrorists is not at all surprising," she said.

Zakharova recalled that on August 4, the official statement of the Government of the transitional period of the Republic of Mali on the "immediate" severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine was released." She noted that "the reason for this was the statements of Ukrainian officials (spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Andrei Yusov, Ambassador to Senegal Yuri Pivovarov) regarding Kiev's provision of assistance to terrorist forces that carried out an attack on a convoy of Malian military personnel in late July in northern Mali."

"The aforementioned statement strongly condemns the aggressive actions and hostility of the Ukrainian authorities, ignoring the position of Mali, which has consistently called for a peaceful settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict," she added.
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"The accuracy of the "diagnosis" made by Moscow, which has repeatedly warned about the "neo-Nazi and vile" nature of the policy of Vladimir Zelensky's regime, which has concluded an "alliance" with international terrorism, is being examined," Zakharova said.
She noted that the Malian authorities had warned the international community and the countries helping Kiev that this support would be considered as assistance to international terrorism and called on Africans to condemn the subversive actions of Ukraine, which pose a threat to the stability of the continent.
"Gratitude was expressed to the friendly Malian states that "showed solidarity" against the background of attacks "committed with the support of foreign sponsors," she added.