extension provides basic rent Sevastopol for 25 years
Kiev, April 26 (AP-New Europe) - The Ukrainian opposition lawmakers submitted a bill to the Rada, the Parliament in Kiev, to cancel decision to extend for additional years the rent of a naval base to the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
The agreement last week between Moscow and Kiev was a tangible proof of the new foreign policy inaugurated by President Viktor Yanukovich, who came to the highest office of the Ukrainian state after winning elections last February. Yanukovich, has always been considered the leader of Ukraine closer to the needs of Moscow.
The new president, succeeding his pro-Western Viktor Yushchenko, has granted an extension of the lease, which expires in 2017 until 2042. In return he received considerable discounts to the price of gas.
Thousands of Ukrainians, led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Yanukovich's opponent for president, showed Saturday in front of the Rada to protest against the agreement, which should be subject to parliamentary ratification tomorrow.
The bill today that would prevent the extension of forcing the Russian fleet to leave the base of Sevastopol in 2017, hardly able to move in a parliament in which Yanukovich has a strong majority. More than anything his presentation seems to be a message to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who will arrive tonight in Kiev.
Tymoshenko and other opposition leaders have said the deal gives control of parts of the territory of Ukraine and appealed to all opposition forces to unite to resist this "unprecedented step to betrayal and disgrace the nation."
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