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Why Kyiv ended its friendship treaty with Russia
Summary
A look back at two decisions taken by Ukraine's parliament on 6 December 2018, as seen from 7 December 2018.
What did Ukraine's parliament decide on 6 December 2018, and why did it matter on 7 December 2018? The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law ending the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Under the law, the treaty would cease to apply from 1 April 2019.
The law set a fixed end date, so the treaty was to remain in force for a few more months rather than lapse at once. The decision turned a political question into a statutory one: the agreement between the two states would end on a date written into Ukrainian law.
On the same day, 6 December 2018, the Rada also moved on a separate matter. Veterans of the UPA were recognised as participants in combat operations. This decision concerned the status of a group of veterans, and it appeared alongside the treaty vote in the day's parliamentary business.
Together, the two measures show a parliament acting on questions of state relations and recognition in a single day. The treaty's termination date of 1 April 2019 was the concrete marker that followed from the vote.
