The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation was an agreement between Ukraine and Russia, signed in 1997, which fixed the principle of strategic partnership, the recognition of the inviolability of existing borders, and respect for territorial integrity and mutual commitment not to use its territory to harm the security of each other.
The treaty prevents Ukraine and Russia from invading one another's country respectively, and declaring war.[2] Due to the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014, Ukraine announced its intention not to renew the treaty in September 2018.[3] The treaty consequently expired on 31 March 2019.[4][3] The treaty was also known as the "Big Treaty".[5][6]
Quick Facts Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, Signed ...
Russian–Ukrainian Friendship TreatyTreaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation |
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Signed | May 31, 1997; 26 years ago (1997-05-31)[1] |
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Location | Kyiv, Ukraine |
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Effective | 1 April 2000 |
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Expiration | 31 March 2019 |
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Signatories |
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Languages | Ukrainian, Russian |
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Until 2019, the treaty was automatically renewed on each 10th anniversary of its signing, unless one party advised the other of its intention to end the treaty six months prior to the date of the renewal.[1][7]
Russia–Ukraine relations have deteriorated since the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea and Russian support for separatist forces in the war in Ukraine's Donbas region.[8] In response, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree not to extend the treaty.
Under the agreement both parties ensure the citizens of the other countries' rights and freedoms on the same basis and to the same extent that it provides for its citizens, except as prescribed by national legislation of States or international treaties.
Every country protects in established order of the rights of its citizens living in another country, in accordance with commitments to documents of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and other universally recognized principles and norms of international law, agreements within the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The agreement, among other things prematurely confirms the inviolability of borders of countries,[1] regardless of the fact that Russia and Ukraine had not finalized a border between the two countries.[13] The border was delineated in the 2003 Treaty on the Russian-Ukrainian State Border, but Ukraine has started the agreed-upon demarcation unilaterally after Russia dragged its feet.[14]
Under Article 2:
In accord with provisions of the UN Charter and the obligations of the Final Act on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the High Contracting Parties shall respect each other′s territorial integrity and reaffirm the inviolability of the borders existing between them.[15][7][16]
The Treaty document stipulates in Article 40 that the Treaty is entered into for a period of 10 years and renews automatically unless one of the parties notifies the other of its intention to curtail the Treaty.[1]
On 19 September 2018, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree not to extend the treaty. On 3 December 2018, Poroshenko drafted a legislation to Parliament to end the Treaty of Friendship immediately; support came from Western allies within the United Nations Security Council.[3][17] According to Poroshenko the non-renewal "does not require a vote" in the Ukrainian parliament. Ukraine announced that on 21 September 2018, it would notify the United Nations and other relevant organizations on the termination of the treaty.[18] Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it was notified on 24 September 2018 of the treaty's termination by Ukraine and expressed regret.[19]
On 3 December 2018, Poroshenko submitted a bill on the termination of the treaty to parliament; 277 MPs supported the termination of the treaty, and 20 legislators voted against it.[20] On December 6 the Ukrainian parliament declared the Treaty to be terminated starting from April 1, 2019.[21]
Sorokowski, Andrew D. (1996). "Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation". Harvard Ukrainian Studies. 20: 319–329. JSTOR 41036701.