Bill terminating Ukraine-Russia friendship treaty enters into force

The law on termination of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, effective April 1, 2019, entered into force on Dec. 12.

On Dec. 6, 2018, the Ukrainian parliament approved the termination of this treaty and the corresponding bill was published in Holos Ukrainy parliamentary newspaper on Dec. 11, Censor.NET reports citing Interfax-Ukraine.

As stipulated in the law, the termination of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation frees Ukraine from any obligation to fulfill it and does not affect the rights, obligations or legal status of Ukraine, which arose as a result of the implementation of the Treaty before its termination in accordance with Article 70 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

The law says that by carrying out an armed aggression against Ukraine, the Russian Federation violated the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between the countries.

Read more: Poroshenko signs bill terminating Ukraine-Russia friendship treaty

On Aug. 28, Poroshenko said he expected the Foreign Ministry to submit a package of documents to start the procedure for terminating this Treaty. On Sept. 3, he said he intended to send Russia relevant notification on the termination of the treaty by Sept. 30.

The bill on the Treaty termination was tabled by the president before the parliament on Dec. 3.

The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and Russia was signed on May 31, 1997 for a period of ten years (with subsequent automatic prolongation of the document, if the parties do not speak against it). The Verkhovna Rada ratified the document on Jan. 14, 1998 and the State Duma ratified it on Dec. 25, 1998. The treaty took effect on April 1, 1999.

Read more: Ukraine not going to prolong Treaty of Friendship with Russia which doesn't mean its denunciation, MP Iryna Herashscenko says

Under Article 40 of the treaty, it is signed for ten years. The treaty is automatically prolonged for the next ten-year periods if none of the parties announced its wish to terminate it at least six months prior to the end of the next ten-year period. The first ten-year period began on the date the treaty took effect (on April 1, 1999) and it expired on April 1, 2009. None of the parties announced a wish to terminate the treaty before October 2008 then and therefore it was automatically prolonged for the next ten-year period.

The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and Russia outlines the principle of strategic partnership, recognition of inviolability of the existing borders, respect for territorial integrity and mutual obligation not to use the countries' territory to hurt each other's security.