Home › Politics › What Russia's acknowledgement on the Friendship Treaty meant
What Russia's acknowledgement on the Friendship Treaty meant
Summary
A look back at the day Russia confirmed it had been told Ukraine would not renew the 1997 Big Treaty.
What did it mean when Russia said it had been notified that Ukraine would not renew the Friendship Treaty? On 25 September 2018, Russia acknowledged that it had received notice of Kyiv's decision not to extend the Russian–Ukrainian Friendship Treaty.
What the treaty was
The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership, 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. Each side also pledged not to use its territory to harm the other's security. In effect, it barred the two countries from invading one another or declaring war.
How the decision came about
The background points to the war that began in 2014. Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko signed a decree not to extend the treaty on 19 September 2018, six days before Russia's acknowledgement.
What followed
The treaty later expired on 31 March 2019. On 25 September 2018, that outcome lay in the future. The acknowledgement showed that the notification had reached Moscow, and the non-renewal decision stood.
