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Russia confirms notice on Friendship Treaty
Summary
A look back at the 2018 exchange over Ukraine's decision not to renew the 1997 agreement with Russia.
What did Moscow know about Kyiv's decision to let the Russian–Ukrainian Friendship Treaty lapse? By 26 September 2018, the question had a clear answer: Russia had acknowledged, as reported on 25 September, that it had been notified of Ukraine's decision not to renew the agreement.
What the treaty was
The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, also known as the "Big Treaty", was signed in 1997. It fixed the principle of strategic partnership, recognised the inviolability of existing borders and committed both sides to respect territorial integrity. It also bound each country not to use its territory to harm the other's security.
The decision
The background to the notification was a decree by the Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, signed on 19 September 2018, not to extend the treaty. The decree was linked to the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014.
Russia's acknowledgement of the notification, reported on 25 September 2018, confirmed that the decision had formally reached Moscow.
What followed
The treaty later expired on 31 March 2019, in line with the decision that Russia had acknowledged receiving.
