Jan 05 2009
Ukraine Cuts Off Russia’s Use of Base
Ukraine has announced it will no longer lease its Crimean naval base at Sevastopol to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The present agreement between the two countries states that Russia has access to the base until 2017, with a possible extension. President Viktor Yushchenko, however, stated that it will not extend the present agreement and negotiations regarding the matter will not take place.
Russia has responded by stating that it will open a base at Ochamchira, located in the separatist region of Georgia’s Abkhazia. Abkhazia became a focal point in the recent Russo-Georgian conflict and has been recognized by Russia as an independent state.
The base is slated to be functional by the 2017 cutoff, raising the tension level in the region between Russia and the other former Soviet countries.
