The Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine began a pre-trial investigation into the fact of committing high treason in the period from 2008 to 2010.

In particular, the SBU officers plan to study the circumstances of the preparation, signing and ratification of the so-called Kharkiv agreements of 2010, according to which the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea was extended until 2042.

These agreements, according to the secret service, allegedly helped Moscow to "annex" the peninsula in 2014.

"According to preliminary information from the investigation, the signing of this document led to an increase in the number of personnel of military formations and special services of the Russian Federation involved in the annexation of the territory of the AR (Autonomous Republic. -

RT

) Crimea," the SBU website says.

"Destruction of our entire security system"

The SBU began to clarify the circumstances of the conclusion of the Kharkiv agreements after the relevant instructions from the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine.

“There is a separate instruction from the SBU to find out in what way these 236 deputies voted on this issue (ratification of the Kharkiv agreements. -

RT

).

If the SBU considers it necessary, it must open (case. -

RT

) under Art.

111 of the Criminal Code (treason. -

RT

) in relation to the persons concerned, "said the secretary of this department, Alexei Danilov, at a meeting of the NSDC.

  • NSDC Secretary Alexey Danilov

  • © Press service of the President of Ukraine

The official believes that the entry into force of the Kharkiv agreements was the "first brick" from which the "destruction of the entire security system" began.

According to Danilov, “the chain of treason began not in 2014, but in 2010”.

He explained that the ratification of the agreement with Moscow canceled out the NSDC decision of 2008, according to which the lease by Russia of the base in Sevastopol expired in 2017.

“Without the support of the people's deputies, who by their vote ratified the Kharkiv agreements, actually opening the door to a military invasion, an attempt to annex Crimea and the temporary occupation of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions could not have taken place,” Danilov said.

Recall that the agreement on the extension of the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea was concluded on April 21, 2010 in Kharkov during negotiations between Viktor Yanukovych and Dmitry Medvedev, who at that time held senior government posts in Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

Under the terms of these agreements, in exchange for the prolongation of the lease of the naval base in Sevastopol and other naval facilities, Kiev received a 30% discount on Russian gas supplied to the republic (but not more than $ 100 per 1,000 cubic meters).

From the point of view of Yanukovych and his supporters, the Kharkiv agreements helped stabilize Russian-Ukrainian relations, which experienced several crises during the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko.

The Kremlin also held similar views on the treaty.

In May 2010, on the eve of his official visit to Kiev, in an interview with Ukrainian TV channels, Dmitry Medvedev called the Kharkiv agreements "balanced and useful" and "mutually beneficial".

Nevertheless, the agreements between the Russian Federation and Ukraine caused a categorical rejection of the political forces controlled by Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko.

The opposition accused Yanukovych of betraying the country's interests and provoked a scuffle in the Verkhovna Rada during the vote to ratify the treaty with Russia.

  • Confrontation between supporters and opponents of the ratification by the Verkhovna Rada of the treaty on the stationing of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea

  • RIA News

  • © Grigory Vasilenko

Experts, in turn, believe that the Kharkiv agreements were really beneficial for both parties and did not have any impact on the events of the "Crimean spring".

Thus, Vladimir Olenchenko, senior researcher at the Center for European Studies at the IMEMO RAS, in an interview with RT, recalled that the peninsula became part of the Russian Federation solely by the free will of the overwhelming majority of its inhabitants. 

“The logic of Danilov and the SBU does not correlate with reality in any way.

Crimea separated from Ukraine because its population wanted it so.

Russia, in turn, responded to their request, ”Olenchenko explained.

In an interview with RT, Ukrainian political scientist Alexander Semchenko also stressed that the Kharkov agreements have nothing to do with the loss of Crimea by Ukraine.

He recalled that under any circumstances, the lease of the Sevastopol base by the Russian Black Sea Fleet expired only in 2017. 

“The NSDC and the SBU are deliberately distorting the situation, not wanting to find out the real reasons for the loss of Crimea and punish those who are really guilty of this.

After all, first of all, these are the people who carried out the coup, ”stated Semchenko.

It is worth noting that on April 2, 2014, due to the entry of Crimea into Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the Kharkiv agreements and other treaties, which prescribed the conditions for the stay of the Black Sea Fleet on the peninsula.

"Will punish all" offenders "

In the near future, the SBU should interrogate every ex-deputy who voted in support of the ratification of the Kharkiv agreements.

Among the former people's deputies who will have to answer questions from investigators are billionaire Rinat Akhmetov, businessman Vasily Khmelnitsky, as well as current Rada deputies Andrei Derkach and Igor Palitsa.

“This is not a very smart move on the part of the Ukrainian authorities.

More than ten years have passed, and there is no longer any point in conducting a trial.

In addition, the actions of the NSDC and the SBU contradict the Constitution of Ukraine, which prohibits criminal prosecution of deputies, including former ones, for their activities in the Rada, ”Olenchenko recalled.

Analysts believe that, in addition to former and current parliamentarians, Viktor Yanukovych, ex-Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and members of his cabinet who were directly involved in the preparation of the Kharkiv agreements may fall under the persecution of the SBU.

In addition, the investigation into treason may concern the first deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Ruslan Demchenko, who in 2010 served as deputy foreign minister of Ukraine.

“Following the logic of the current Ukrainian authorities, it is quite possible to bring to justice Bohdan Khmelnitsky, who has sworn allegiance to the Russian tsar.

But if we skip the jokes, then in the current situation, it seems to me, this case will turn into an instrument of pressure on those who dare to speak out for normalizing relations with Moscow, ”Olenchenko said.

However, Alexander Semchenko has a different opinion.

From his point of view, the criminal case is unlikely to be directed against any group of persons, including the team of Yanukovych, the oligarch Akhmetov, as well as former and current deputies of the Verkhovna Rada.

“Akhmetov has a lot of vulnerabilities that could be hit, but Zelensky will not deal with this.

On the contrary, he had a very good relationship with the businessman.

As for Yanukovych, he has long ceased to be a significant figure in Ukrainian politics, ”says Semchenko.

He linked the criminal case of the SBU with the "banal imitation of violent activities" of the president's office and the NSDC for "protecting the interests of Ukraine."

According to Semchenko, now Zelensky is trying to raise his own rating, attracting Poroshenko's electorate, who in 2010 supported the conclusion of the Kharkiv agreements.

“Zelenskiy pretends to be a patriot, a strong leader fighting for the interests of the country.

Therefore, he constantly promises that he will certainly punish all the "offenders" of Ukraine.

However, in reality, the president does nothing against those who really destroy the state, ”concluded Semchenko.