Amid flying eggs and drifting smoke, Ukrainian parliament ratifies Russian naval lease
By APTuesday, April 27, 2010
Ukraine ratitifes Russian naval lease
KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s parliament has voted to extend Russia’s lease of a Crimean naval port for the Black Sea Fleet in a chaotic session during which eggs and smoke bombs were thrown.
The measure is also up for ratification in the Russian parliament, where a far more orderly session is under way Tuesday.
The countries’ presidents agreed last week to extend the Russian navy’s use of the Sevastopol port for another 25 years after the old lease expires in 2017.
The deal is the most concrete sign of Russia’s renewed influence in Ukraine since Viktor Yanukovych became president in February.
Yanukovych replaced Viktor Yushchenko, who adamantly pushed to move Ukraine out of Moscow’s shadow and integrate more closely with Western Europe.
