KIEV — Ukraine's political opposition on Saturday sought to rally people against a decision by President Viktor Yanukovych to allow the Russian Navy to stay in Ukraine's Crimea until 2042.
Yanukovych agreed last week to extend the Black Sea Fleet's lease in Sevastopol by 25 years beyond 2017 in exchange for cheaper gas, a move that drew charges from the opposition that Ukraine's sovereignty was being compromised.
"Next Tuesday, the parliament will start the process of ratifying this unacceptable agreement for Ukraine," former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko told a crowd of about 3,000 people near the parliament building. "This ratification must meet with a clear and systematic rebuff," she declared.
Moscow gave Kiev a 30 percent discount on its huge gas imports in exchange for a prolongation of the lease. Ukraine badly needs a discount on its gas to balance its books and put its finances in order to qualify for a new $12 billion credit program from the International Monetary Fund.
Sergei Tigipko, deputy prime minister for economic issues, said that while the deal might make economic sense, Yanukovych should have been more open about the negotiations.
"The procedure of debating the agreement and completing it behind closed doors is not what the Ukrainian people want," Tigipko said. "From the economic point of view, the latest agreement on the base is a good one," he said.
The Black Sea Fleet decision will be debated this week in parliament and could be ratified by a simple majority of 226 votes in the 450-seat parliament. The opposition has threatened to block access to the speaking rostrum.
Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine's pro-Western former president who pushed hard for the fleet to be withdrawn, said Friday that the decision amounted to "a military occupation."
(Reuters, AP)
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