United for Peace of Pierce County, WA - We nonviolently oppose the reliance on unilateral military actions rather than cooperative diplomacy.

In an article published Monday by ITAR-TASS, the chief news agency of the Russian Federation, Russia's deputy foreign minister said that "Russia has the right to use its fleet in any situation and under any circumstances. Even without notifying the Ukrainian side."[1] -- Russia is aggrieved because last week Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko announced that Russian warships or planes could cross Ukraine’s state border only after a 72-hour prior notice to the Ukrainian General Staff, which Russia says is not consistent with prior agreements and would be unfriendly towards Russia....

MOSCOW -- Russia has the right to use its fleet in any situation without notifying Ukrainian authorities, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said.

“Under effective agreements Russia has the right to use its fleet in any situation and under any circumstances. Even without notifying the Ukrainian side,” Karasin said on Monday.

“However taking into account Ukrainian concerns, we have agreed to consider this issue as a goodwill gesture. This issue is being discussed by the special working group within the sub-commission. The parties have exchanged several draft solutions,” the diplomat said.

The agreement on the deployment of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the Crimea “is effective till 2017 with a possible renewal,” he said.

“Russia has been consistently performing the base agreements on the fleet in terms of coordinating redeployment, maneuvers, and other activities of the fleet,” he said.

“The mechanism of coordination has been working smoothly all these years. Now Ukraine wants to unilaterally introduce an order that goes far beyond these agreements,” Karasin said.

“Under the existing agreements, Russia has the right to use its fleet in any situation and under any circumstances. Even without notifying the Ukrainian side,” he repeated.

“In November 2007, Russia provided Ukraine with its new approaches,” the diplomat said. “Kiev sent its own proposals. Work is underway, and there is no need to dramatize the situation. Russia is not against making a special document if it does not block Russia’s right to use the Black Sea Fleet in its own military-political interests in accordance with international law,” Karasin said.

He said Russia has enough possibilities to ensure long-term stationing of its Navy on the Black Sea in accordance with its national interests.

“Russia has enough possibilities to ensure reliable and long-term stationing of its Navy on the Black Sea in accordance with its national interests. The Ukrainian side cannot but understand that such issues should be solved on a bilateral basis,” he said.

“There is an agreement between the two presidents, under the auspices of whom a special negotiating mechanism has been operating since 2005 -- the sub-commission on the operation of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and its stay in Ukraine,” Karasin said.

“The sub-commission and its working bodies have been functioning all these years. The accumulated potential allows us to hope that even the trickiest problems can be resolved,” he said.

Ukraine once again begins using the naval topic for the sake of internal and international political purposes, Karasin said.

“In fact, the position of the Ukrainian side on the Black Sea Fleet has lately revealed a number of aspects that worry us,” he said.

“It seems that the naval topic once again begins to be used for the sake of international political fight and the international situation,” he said.

“Doubtful short-lived dividends will not justify long-term strategic damage from such, shall I say, dangerous and unfriendly approach towards Russia,” Karasin said.

“We have openly expressed our concern about the actions of the Ukrainian leadership. We are prompted by the realization of responsibility for the future of relations between Russia and Ukraine. We hope that Kiev will hear our voice,” he said.

The agreement on the deployment of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the Crimea “is effective till 2017 with a possible renewal,” he said.

“Honest performance of the contractual obligations is the alpha and omega of international relations,” Karasin said.

“If Ukraine is a truly rule-of-law state as it claims to be, it may not violate this fundamental international principle,” he said.

“The Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly -- and publicly during negotiations with us -- has said that Kiev will perform its obligations. We hope that it will be so. It is a matter of honor for responsible politicians to keep their word,” Karasin said.

Meanwhile, acting chairman of the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council Valentin Nalivaichenko called for initiating the creation of an international commission for assessing the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s actions in Georgia and help work out a mechanism of control over its operations.

“We think Ukraine needs to appeal to the U.N. and the OSCE with an initiative to create a special international commission, with Georgia’s participation, first of all in order to assess Russia’s use of the Black Sea Fleet temporarily deployed in Ukraine against Georgia, and secondly, in order to work out a regime of control over the Russian Black Sea Fleet,” Nalivaichenko said in an interview with the Zerkalo Nedeli ('Mirror of the Week') weekly.

He also called for hiring international experts to work in the sub-commission on the Black Sea Fleet within the international Ukraine-Russia commission.

He believes it necessary to investigate all cases when Russian Black Sea Fleet sail to sea to find out if this is consistent with Ukrainian legislation and international agreements.

Last week, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko enacted two decisions adopted by the National Security and Defense Council regarding the movement of the Russian Black Sea Fleet outside its base in the Crimea.

According to the decisions, warships or planes may only cross Ukraine’s state border after at least a 72-hour prior notice top the Ukrainian General Staff.

The notice should also contain information about arms, ammunition, and explosives, and military equipment.

If a request is approved, the Black Sea Fleet command should inform the headquarters of the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea regional branch of the state border guard service and the relevant customs authority of Ukraine about the departure of warships at least 24 hours prior.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry have been instructed to look into the situation regarding the return to Sevastopol of a group of ships of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet patrolling Georgia’s coast, First Vice Prime Minister Alexander Turchinov said.

“The Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry will look into the matter and make an official conclusion which will be made known to the public,” Turchinov said.

A dispute arose in Kiev between the two ministries regarding the legal aspects of the participation of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet ships, based in Crimea, in military operations.

Yushchenko had earlier described as a dangerous precedent the use of Russian Black Sea Fleet ships in military operations or blockage in the Black Sea area.

On August 10, Ukraine warned Russia against a possible participation of the Black Sea Fleet in the conflict in South Ossetia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry in response expressed surprise over the tone and content of the statement.

It said in its comments that the measures with which Ukraine had threatened would not be consistent with Russian-Ukrainian agreements and would be unfriendly towards Russia.