Russia Denounces Agreement With Ukraine on Kerch Strait

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law denouncing the 2003 treaty between Russia and Ukraine on cooperating in using the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait.

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The treaty originally stipulated that the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait were internal waters of Russia and Ukraine. Vessels from both sides were allowed to navigate the Kerch Strait freely. The agreement, signed on Dec. 24, 2003, in Kerch, entered into force in April 2004.

Russia's State Duma denounced the agreement on June 1 after Putin had submitted a bill on May 24. The Upper House approved the bill on June 7. Ukraine denounced the agreement in February.

Currently, Putin is also studying the possibility of withdrawing Russia from the Black Sea grain deal as Western countries are not fulfilling their responsibilities.

"Unfortunately they have deceived us again. They did nothing to release supplies to foreign markets. I mean freight, insurance, payments, and Rosseljozbank's connection to the Swift system," he explained.

The Russian leader recalled that the grain agreement "had many different conditions that Westerners had to meet under the auspices of the United Nations."

We did not sign this agreement to favor Ukraine "but for our friendly countries in Africa and Latin America. Because the grain must go, first of all, to the poorest countries," Putin insisted.

The Russian leader also denounced that only 3.5 percent of the Ukrainian cereal exported that way reaches the poorest countries, while over 40 percent of that good goes to Europe.