04.12.2018, Kiev.
The President of Ukraine Pyotr Poroshenko, speaking to the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian Parliament), suggested that the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and Ukraine be denounced, RBK reports on December 3.
Poroshenko introduced a bill to the Parliament denouncing the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between Russia and Ukraine. The Ukrainian President stressed that the bill was urgent.
Previously, on November 30, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin said that Ukraine plans to denounce a total of 40 bilateral agreements with Russia, including the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. Klimkin explained that the Ukrainian side deemed “absolutely senseless whatever existed before the war.”
On September 17, the President of Ukraine Poroshenko signed a decree denouncing the Treaty of Friendship with Russia. Previously, on September 6, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (Ukrainian: SNBO) decided to terminate the Treaty.
On September 21, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry notified Russia of the termination of the Treaty of Friendship.
The Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between the Russian Federation and Ukraine was signed by Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kuchma on May 31, 1997. The Treaty went into effect on April 1, 1999. The duration of the Treaty is 10 years with automatic extension by another term of the same length unless any of the parties wishes to terminate it.
Editorial comment
In the lead-up to the presidential elections in Ukraine, which are to take place on March 31, 2019, Poroshenko is actively playing the Russophobic card, escalating the hysteria over his own provocation in the Kerch Strait. As a result, martial law was imposed in some Ukrainian regions, and Ukraine, according to media reports, is drawing its army to the Russian border.
The reason of the Ukrainian president’s recent activity (threatening with a full-scale hot war) is that Poroshenko’s polling numbers are as low as 6.8% (according to recent surveys).
This result is lower than that of Ukrainian comedian Zelensky (7.8%), who also wants to “steer” Ukraine, as well as that of Yulia Timoshenko with 13.2%. Besides, 5 more candidates are on Poroshenko’s heels at 1-2% behind him.
Thus, the current president is following the principle “all means will do to hold the power,” regardless of the consequences, and whatever happens to his people.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
