Lunatik
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KIEV, Ukraine - Russian warships deployed off Georgia must obtain Ukraine's permission before returning to their base in the port of Sevastopol, a Ukrainian official was quoted by Interfax as saying Aug. 14.
This was necessary because use of Russian ships based in Ukraine against "third countries" could lead to attacks on Ukrainian territory, endangering Ukrainian citizens, said Viktor Semyonov, a senior Ukrainian official responsible for relations with Russia's Black Sea fleet.
The comments came one day after Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree stating that if Russia did not seek the permission of Ukraine's armed forces "at least 72 hours before ships or aircraft crossing the Ukrainian border," Ukraine "may demand that naval ships... and aircraft of the Black Sea fleet leave" Ukraine's territory immediately. The decree was published on Yushchenko's Web site.
Russia condemned the move, with a foreign ministry statement describing it as an "anti-Russian step."
"The innovation is aimed at creating serious difficulties for the practical activities of the fleet, directly contradicting" a key bilateral agreement, the statement said. "It is perplexing that Ukraine once again has not bothered to even observe elementary diplomatic niceties."
The announcement heightened fears that Ukraine, a close ally of Tbilisi, could be caught up in a conflict that has raged in recent days between Russia and Georgia.
Yushchenko has pursued a staunchly pro-Western course, like Georgia seeking membership in NATO, whose expansion Moscow strongly opposes.
Ships from Russia's Black Sea fleet have been active off the coast of Georgia. Russia's military on Aug. 10 said it had sunk one Georgian naval vessel, while on Aug. 12 Georgia said Russia had sunk three Georgian coast guard ships.
Russia has maintained its historic Black Sea fleet base in Sevastopol since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the current Russian lease on the facility expires in 2017. Russian politicians and military officials are strongly opposed to the prospect of closing the base or restrictions on its use.
The base is located on Ukraine's sensitive Crimean Peninsula, home to a large Russophone population with pro-Moscow sympathies, as well as some other ethnic groups.
http://defensenews.com/story.php?i=3673684&c=EUR&s=SEA
This was necessary because use of Russian ships based in Ukraine against "third countries" could lead to attacks on Ukrainian territory, endangering Ukrainian citizens, said Viktor Semyonov, a senior Ukrainian official responsible for relations with Russia's Black Sea fleet.
The comments came one day after Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree stating that if Russia did not seek the permission of Ukraine's armed forces "at least 72 hours before ships or aircraft crossing the Ukrainian border," Ukraine "may demand that naval ships... and aircraft of the Black Sea fleet leave" Ukraine's territory immediately. The decree was published on Yushchenko's Web site.
Russia condemned the move, with a foreign ministry statement describing it as an "anti-Russian step."
"The innovation is aimed at creating serious difficulties for the practical activities of the fleet, directly contradicting" a key bilateral agreement, the statement said. "It is perplexing that Ukraine once again has not bothered to even observe elementary diplomatic niceties."
The announcement heightened fears that Ukraine, a close ally of Tbilisi, could be caught up in a conflict that has raged in recent days between Russia and Georgia.
Yushchenko has pursued a staunchly pro-Western course, like Georgia seeking membership in NATO, whose expansion Moscow strongly opposes.
Ships from Russia's Black Sea fleet have been active off the coast of Georgia. Russia's military on Aug. 10 said it had sunk one Georgian naval vessel, while on Aug. 12 Georgia said Russia had sunk three Georgian coast guard ships.
Russia has maintained its historic Black Sea fleet base in Sevastopol since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the current Russian lease on the facility expires in 2017. Russian politicians and military officials are strongly opposed to the prospect of closing the base or restrictions on its use.
The base is located on Ukraine's sensitive Crimean Peninsula, home to a large Russophone population with pro-Moscow sympathies, as well as some other ethnic groups.
http://defensenews.com/story.php?i=3673684&c=EUR&s=SEA
