Russia needs no instructions on Black Sea Fleet - Medvedev

[Joanne98]

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has stated Russia’s Black Sea Fleet will be under special state control and that Russia needs no instructions from Ukraine or any other country on how to behave in the area. The statement comes following Ukrainian efforts to regain control over the movements of Russian warships in the Black Sea.

"The Black Sea will be in the zone of our special control. We do not need instructions on how to behave," Medvedev said in Vladikavkaz on Monday.

As far as the situation around the Black Sea is concerned, it will "strictly comply with the international agreements and the decrees signed by myself as the supreme commander-in-chief," he said.

"Unqualified interference will not result in anything good," he said.

On August 13 the Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko expressed his intention of implementing two recommendations made by the National Security and Defence Council regarding the movement of the Russian Black Sea Fleet outside its base in the Crimea.

According to the decisions, warships or planes may only cross Ukraine's state border after at least a 72-hour prior notice to the Ukrainian General Staff. Such a notice should also contain information about arms, ammunition and explosives and military equipment.

Yushchenko had earlier described the use of Russian Black Sea Fleet ships in military operations in the Black Sea area as a dangerous precedent.

On August 10 Ukraine warned Russia against the possible participation of the Black Sea Fleet in the conflict in South Ossetia. The Russian Foreign Ministry in response expressed surprise over the tone and content of the statement. It said in its comments that the measures which Ukraine had threatened to take would not be consistent with Russian-Ukrainian agreements and would be unfriendly towards Russia.

Meanwhile, acting chairman of the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council Valentin Nalivaichenko has called for the creation of an international commission for assessing the Black Sea Fleet's actions in Georgia and help work out a mechanism of control over its operations.

He also called for hiring international experts to work in the sub-commission on the Black Sea Fleet within the international Ukraine-Russia commission.

He believes it's necessary to investigate all cases when the Black Sea Fleet puts to sea to find out if this is consistent with Ukrainian legislation and international agreements.

Meanwhile, Anatoly Nogovitsyn of Russian General Staff says the United States, Canada and Poland are planning to introduce their warships into the Black Sea by the end of August.

"As far as we know, U.S., Canadian and Polish naval forces are planning to introduce their warships into the Black Sea by the end of August," Nogovitsyn told a news conference on Tuesday.

http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/29193

[bushmeister0]

1. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov banned from Ukraine for suggesting Russia take back Sevastopol.

"The ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet – 'Moskva' missile cruiser, Smetlivy patrol boat, Mirazh missile boat, and Turbinist minesweeper – plan to enter Sevastopol in the morning of August 20.

According to the Defense Ministry of Ukraine, the leadership of the Russian fleet submitted to the Defense Ministry of Ukraine the official information about the planned entrance of four ships to Sevastopol.

As UNIAN reported earlier, President Yushchenko of Ukraine signed a decree requiring the fleet, based in the Crimean port of Sevas-topol, to give 72 hours’ notice of any ship movements. But General Nogovitsyn in Moscow said that the restrictions would be ignored. 'We have one general commander for the Black Sea Fleet,' he said. 'It is the President of Russia and all commands from outside are illegitimate to us.'"

http://www.unian.net/eng/news/news-268019....

Kommersant.com:

"Ukrainian authorities introduced Monday the timeless ban on visits of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Luzhkov called on to focus on getting back Sevastopol during the celebration of the 225th anniversary of the RF Black Sea Fleet held in that city of Ukrainian Crimea . . .

In Luzhkov’s interpretation, the truth is that Russia should have Sevastopol back under its jurisdiction. When Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev handed over Crimea to Ukraine, the mayor went on, he 'didn’t take pains to properly execute it, and everything was given without mentioning Sevastopol. 'So far, Sevastopol has been never handed over to Ukraine, according to historic documents. The issue of Sevastopol should be brought to the international court… I’ll officially address leaders of our state, the State Duma, the Federation Council to raise the Sevastopol issue anew.'

The Security Council of Ukraine was the first to rebuff by banning the Moscow mayor from any new visits to the country. Besides, the detectives in Ukraine are probing into his potential involvement in money laundering in Sevastopol."

http://www.kommersant.com/p890983 /

More here . . .

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bushmeister0/55