Moscow, April 27: The parliaments of Ukraine and Russia looked set on Tuesday to ratify an agreement that will keep the Russian navy based in Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula until 2042 despite howls of protests by Ukraine’s opposition.
An extension of the fleet’s lease on its base in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol was agreed on April 21 by presidents Viktor Yanukovich of Ukraine and Dmitry Medvedev of Russia in exchange for a 30 percent cut in the price of Russian gas to Ukraine.
Since then, supporters of former President Viktor Yushchenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko have staged political protests against the deal, which they regard as a sell-out of Ukrainian national interests.
Their followers say they will try to physically block debate in Ukraine’s parliament and hold protests outside.
But, assuming the debate goes ahead and a vote is taken, the signs are that the Yanukovich camp will call on its majority and muster the 226 votes needed in the 450-seat parliament to ratify the agreement.
In a parallel discussion, the Russian Duma is expected to rubber-stamp the deal, which is being touted by the Kremlin as a diplomatic coup.
The Russian fleet has been based in Sevastopol since the reign of Catherine the Great in the 18th century. But, under an accord after Ukraine gained independence following the break-up of the Soviet Union, the fleet would have had to leave in 2017.
AMBIGUOUS CONSTITUTION
Yushchenko, Yanukovich’s pro-Western predecessor who favoured Ukrainian membership of NATO, pushed hard when he was in office for the fleet to be withdrawn on time in 2017.
But the newly elected Yanukovich says he wants to significantly improve ties with Ukraine’s former Soviet master. He says the Black Sea fleet in Crimea does not endanger Ukraine’s national interests and enhances European security.
Yanukovich’s opponents say he is acting against the constitution. But the constitution is ambiguous, containing two contradictory articles on the stationing of foreign military bases in the country.
“If society today turns a blind eye to the Kharkiv agreement, it is possible that it will be the biggest loss to our sovereignty and independence,” Yushchenko said at the weekend, referring to the meeting in the city of Kharkiv where Yanukovich and Medvedev agreed the deal.
The Russian fleet in Sevastopol comprises about 16,200 servicemen, a rocket cruiser, a large destroyer and about 40 other vessels including submarines, landing craft, small destroyers and support ships.
To the embarrassment of Yushchenko, the fleet sent warships to support Russian military action against Ukraine’s then-ally, the former Soviet republic of Georgia during Russia’s brief war there in August 2008.
Opponents of the Black Sea deal say that, by hosting the Black Sea fleet, Ukraine could be dragged into future Moscow conflicts with other powers.
—-Agencies