Putin decrees Russia denounces Black Sea Fleet treaties with Ukraine

MOSCOW, April 2 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on termination of the effect of Russian-Ukrainian treaties on the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the Kremlin press service reported on Wednesday. “This federal law comes in force from the day of its official publication,” the document runs. The law holds that the Russian-Ukrainian treaty on parameters of division of the Black Sea Fleet signed on May 28, 1997, the treaty on status and terms of deployment of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine signed on May 28, 1997, the treaty on mutual settlements related with division and stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine signed on May 28, 1997 and the so-called Kharkov agreement on stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine signed on April 21, 2010 are denounced. On March 28, the Russian president has submitted a bill on termination of the effect of these agreements for debates in the State Duma lower house of parliament. On March 31, the bill was unanimously approved by the lower house of parliament and was endorsed by the Federation Council upper house of parliament on April 1. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said earlier that there were no reasons to continue the effect of Russian-Ukrainian treaties on the Black Sea Fleet. “The territory of the Russian Republic of Crimea and the Russian federal city of Sevastopol [long-standing home base for Russian Black Sea naval fleet on the Crimean peninsula] are integral part of the Russian Federation from now on that comes into Russia’s sovereignty under Article 4 of the Russian Constitution. Therefore, there are no reasons today to continue legal relations to deploy a naval base and personnel of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine, including Russia’s commitments to extend payment or any compensation or an indemnification to Ukraine,” he noted. For the first time Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev stated at a meeting of the Russian Security Council on March 21 about the need to denounce the Kharkov agreements signed by legitimate Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich. According to these documents signed in April 2010 the deployment of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the Republic of Crimea was agreed upon for 25 years in the swap for a 30 percent decline in Russian gas price, but no more than 100 dollars down per 1,000 cubic metres of gas. So, Russia loses a profit of 11 billion dollars, Medvedev said. “I believe that it is absolutely grounded to raise the issue of indemnifying these monetary funds from Ukrainian budget that can be done in court on a basis of the denounced agreement,” the prime minister added. “These are certainly tough measures, but, on the other hand, there is no document, but there is a payment that we had made. And our Ukrainian partners should understand that they are not paid just for anything,” the Russian prime minister noted. Learn more on itar-tass.com