"Strategy to break with the past": Poroshenko signed the law on the termination of the treaty of friendship with Russia

Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko signed the law “On the termination of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.” Thus, the current agreement will expire on April 1, 2019.

“The non-renewal of the treaty with Russia should not be viewed as an episode, but as part of our strategy for a final break with the colonial past and reorientation towards Europe,” Poroshenko said in a published statement.

According to him, other components of this strategy are a visa-free regime and an association agreement with the European Union, Tomos on the establishment of an independent autocephalous Ukrainian church, secession from the CIS and consolidation of the policy of joining NATO and the EU in the constitution. In addition, the priorities of state policy include "creating a powerful, patriotic and professional Ukrainian army, supporting the Ukrainian language, our own history and strengthening our national identity," the president said.

Poroshenko demanded that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs complete the work on the “inventory of the legal framework with Russia.” “We will continue to draw conclusions about the usefulness of certain agreements,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader also called on the Cabinet of Ministers in the shortest possible time to create an interdepartmental coordinating body for the formation of a “consolidated claim of Ukraine to Russia” and the protection of national interests.

Non-contractual agreement on friendship, partnership and partnership in Ukraine and Russia should not look like a policy, but as part of our strategy for the rest of the rest of the world min. And change to Europe, pic.t.com

In Kiev, Moscow is accused of alleged violation of certain provisions of the treaty, in particular, a clause on mutual respect for the territorial integrity and inviolability of existing borders - transparently hinting at a referendum in Crimea and reuniting it with Russia, as well as the situation in Donbas. At the same time, the agreement stipulates the right of peoples “to freely dispose of their own destiny”.

It is worth recalling a few more points signed in May 1997 and entered into force on April 1, 1999. Thus, in Article 6, the signatories undertake to prevent their territory from being used to the detriment of the security of the other party.

Article 11: “The Parties shall take the necessary measures on their territory ... to prevent and repress any actions constituting incitement to violence or violence against individuals or groups of citizens, based on national, racial, ethnic or religious intolerance”.

In the 12th article, the obligations to ensure the protection of the ethnic minority’s ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity and the creation of conditions for the promotion of this identity are separately stated.

"The parties will promote the creation of equal opportunities and conditions for learning Russian in Ukraine and the Ukrainian language in the Russian Federation, training teachers for teaching these languages ​​in educational institutions, and providing equal government support for these purposes," the document says.

In addition, the agreement stipulates that disputes regarding the interpretation and application of the provisions of the treaty of friendship and cooperation shall be settled through consultations and negotiations between its parties.

As early as September 2018, the Ukrainian side sent an official note to the Russian Foreign Ministry about the non-renewal of the friendship agreement, and a week ago Petro Poroshenko submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law on the denunciation of this agreement. The Ukrainian parliament passed this law on December 6 - 277 deputies supported it, with the necessary minimum of 226 votes.

• Presidents Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kuchma sign the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership (May 31, 1997, Kiev)
• RIA News

"The contract is terminated because of the name"

The Kremlin expressed regret over the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to refuse to prolong the agreement on friendship and cooperation. Such a statement was made by the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov.

“One thing is obvious: this step can hardly be regarded as a step that is in the interests of the Ukrainians, the very Ukrainians with whom we have ties of kinship and fraternal relations, in spite of everything. One can only express regret for the fact that the Ukrainian leadership makes such rash decisions, ”PASSKA quoted TASS.

“From our point of view, this is a manifestation of disrespect for one’s own people and their interests,” he stressed.

According to the deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on the CIS, Eurasian Integration and Compatriots Affairs Viktor Vodolatsky, breaking the friendship treaty and other actions of the Ukrainian leadership are “provocative and odious in nature” and provoke Western politicians to certain remarks about Moscow.

“Poroshenko questions all the long-standing agreements that define the special conditions of the economy of the two states, the movement of citizens of Russia and Ukraine, and many other issues, including territorial ones. Poroshenko can no longer do more harm to our relationship than the one that he inflicted today, ”the source said.

“It will harm citizens of Ukraine and Russia, who have family ties in one country and another, and we have a lot of them. Poroshenko destroyed everything and once again shows the West that he is fulfilling all of the installations, ”the parliamentarian added.

In turn, the Doctor of Political Sciences, a professor at Moscow State University, Andrei Manoilo, noted that the termination of this agreement would not affect Russian interests in a special way, since it is largely declarative.

“It is sad that this is another step towards the transformation of Ukraine into a state hostile to Russia. This is one of the elements of the policy pursued by the current Kiev leadership, ”he stated.

The political scientist added that the denunciation of the agreement will hit primarily the interests of the Ukrainians, much of whom continue to work in Russia and earn money here for the maintenance of their families. The Treaty of Friendship and Partnership provided for a preferential mode of movement and stay of citizens of both countries, but recently the territory of Ukraine is almost closed for men from Russia.

“On the whole, on the part of Poroshenko, this is not an economic or political move. This is a propaganda move. The contract is terminated due to the title. Poroshenko puts an end to good neighborliness with Russia and thinks that it will add him points in the election race or popularity among a certain part of the population. But whatever he does, he will remain Poroshenko, ”summed up Manoilo.

Earlier, the Russian authorities stressed the importance of cooperation between the two countries and their fraternal peoples, and President Vladimir Putin said that in the current situation, Moscow would take the path of liberalizing the stay of Ukrainians in the Russian Federation and granting Russian citizenship to them.