- Category
- Latest news
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Diplomats Visit Russian-Occupied Crimea, Ukraine Responds
- Authors
![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine condemned the recent unauthorized visit of the ambassadors of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to the territory of Crimea, temporarily occupied by Russia, which took place from September 18 to 20, the ministry reported on September 22.
“African diplomats grossly violated international law, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as several UN General Assembly resolutions, including No. 68/262 on the Territorial Integrity of Ukraine, which reaffirms the non-recognition of any changes to the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry noted that the ambassadors’ actions also contradict Ukrainian legislation, which clearly outlines the rules for entering temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
According to the MFA, the visit represents a brazen breach of both international law and national legislation. Responsibility, the ministry emphasized, lies not only with the ambassadors themselves but also with the governments they represent.
“The actions of the ambassadors appear especially cynical given the efforts that the regimes of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger ostensibly make to preserve and protect their own sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders,” the statement added.
Ukraine’s MFA further stressed that Russia continues to exploit certain foreign diplomats as “paid extras” in its propaganda campaigns. Moscow’s goal, the ministry said, is to create a false impression of international legitimacy for Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.
The ministry also urged the ambassadors to recognize that by participating in the visit, they effectively became part of Russia’s campaign to legitimize colonial occupation, a move that “renders the positions of these African diplomats particularly hypocritical,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council noted that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are among the world’s poorest countries, heavily reliant on foreign aid. Expecting serious investment from them in Crimea—subject to international sanctions—is, at best, naive, the center said.
-a9508788f278eb9b1aa54fba6ad6d5f7.png)
“Such visits have no real economic substance and are used solely for media purposes: the Kremlin attempts to simulate ‘international recognition’ of the occupied peninsula and create an illusion of potential economic development,” the center said.
According to the center, statements about potential cooperation are intended to convince Russian audiences and residents of the occupied peninsula that Crimea “is not isolated.” In reality, any projects with African states are limited to symbolic gestures and propaganda.
This follows similar visits in July 2025, when the ambassadors of Chad, Guinea, and Burundi also visited temporarily occupied Crimea. Ukraine’s MFA at the time said those visits violated both international law and Ukrainian legislation.
In July 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced the formation of the Sahel Alliance of States (AES), expelled French military forces from their territories, and sought military support from Moscow. In August 2024, the three countries sent a letter to the UN Security Council accusing Ukraine of allegedly supporting Tuareg rebels who had clashed with Wagner forces and Malian troops in northern Mali.
Earlier, it was reported that Russia is expanding efforts to recruit women from economically vulnerable countries to work at its drone manufacturing facilities, including through the use of BRICS-affiliated organizations, according to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
