Thursday13 March 2025
zss.in.ua

In 2009, Poroshenko promised not to renegotiate the agreements concerning the Russian Black Sea Fleet, despite the decision of the National Security and Defense Council, reports say.

During his tenure as Foreign Minister, Petro Poroshenko, a member of parliament and the fifth president of Ukraine, negotiated with the Russian leadership regarding the extension of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's presence in Crimea. This information comes from the publication "Law and Business," which has released a video of a joint press conference held by Poroshenko and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in 2009.
В 2009 году Порошенко заявил, что не будет пересматривать соглашения по Черноморскому флоту России, несмотря на решение СНБО, сообщают СМИ.

"I would like to declare quite responsibly: Kyiv, like Moscow, is not seeking to revise the fundamental agreements regarding the Black Sea Fleet," – the publication quoted Poroshenko.

According to the authors of the publication, in 2009-2010, Poroshenko repeatedly received reports from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Defense regarding subversive activities of the Russian Black Sea Fleet against Ukraine, but he did not take measures to halt it, and in interviews, he spoke about the benefits for Ukraine in signing the Kharkiv agreements.

"Zakon i Biznes" notes that Poroshenko's statements during the press conference contradict the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) from 2008 regarding measures to ensure the development of Ukraine as a maritime state. This decision included preparations to terminate, starting in 2017, the international agreements on the temporary stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine.

The authors of the material presented conclusions from experts they surveyed regarding Poroshenko's activities during his tenure as minister in 2009-2010.

"At that time, he was almost finalizing the agreement for the purchase of 'Sevmorzavod,' and therefore had a personal interest in the continued presence of the Russian fleet in Crimea for the repair of its ships. During his time as Foreign Minister, Poroshenko was directly involved in the processes that preceded the conclusion of the Kharkiv agreement on April 21, 2010, which extended the Russian fleet's stay on Ukrainian territory by 25 years," – the publication writes.