Nauru has withdrawn its recognition of Georgia’s Russia-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia regions as “independent states” and terminated diplomatic relations with them with “immediate effect,” the government of the small Pacific island nation said on social media on July 30. The statement came a day after Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said Nauru had cut diplomatic ties with Sokhumi and Tskhinvali on July 21. Tbilisi welcomed the move and expressed readiness to establish diplomatic ties with Nauru, while Sokhumi said it regretted what it described as a “forced decision.” Following Nauru’s move, only four countries continue to recognize Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia as independent states: Russia, Syria, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. Calls have repeatedly been made to Syria’s interim authorities after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 to reverse the recognition.