Ukraine denies it aids rebels in Mali

Source: Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On Monday,  Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement dismissing recent media reports of Kyiv’s involvment in supplies of drones to rebels in Mali.

“We also strongly contest all accusations that periodically arise from high-ranking officials of the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger, alleging Ukraine’s collaboration with terrorists, supplying arms to these terrorists, and providing them with intelligence. These claims have no basis in reality,” the statement asserted.

The ministry reminded the public that back in September, Kyiv had already provided a detailed rebuttal to such accusations. They expressed regret over Mali and Niger’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Ukraine based on unfounded and baseless assumptions.

The Foreign Affairs office dismissed all allegations suggesting Ukraine’s involvement in the flow of weapons and military equipment into the Sahel region, which its allies supply to counter the ongoing armed aggression from the Russian Federation.

The ministry emphasized that from the very first months of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine took the lead in initiating a comprehensive monitoring and control system for the weapons supplied by Western partners. It includes not only international and governmental monitoring tools but also parliamentary oversight regarding the use of Western arms in Ukraine.

Over the past two and a half years of Russian aggression, Ukraine’s allies  have not found any instances of misuse of the military aid provided to Ukraine.

Ukraine called on the governments of Mali and Niger to stop spreding any false information that echoes the deceitful narratives planted by Russia as they only aim to discredit Ukraine and justify Russia’s unprovoked, unjustifiable, and illegal war against Ukraine.