Russian Navy to Stay in Ukraine Till 2017
According to the official statement of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko the Russian Black Sea Fleet will stay in the Crimea until 2017, the Interfax news agency reported December 14.
Speaking at a press conference for the Ukrainian media in Kyiv on Thursday, Yushchenko said Ukraine’s position should lie within the legal framework.
Under a 1997 agreement that divided the Soviet Union’s Black Sea fleet between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian navy was allowed to remain in Sevastopol until 2017, paying an annual rent of 93 million U.S. Dollars.
“The agreements signed prompted Ukraine to take on the political commitments to preserve the presence of the fleet until 2017,†Yushchenko said.
Any political gambling on this issue will only harm both Ukrainian and Russian interests, he added.
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