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Ukraine denounces agreement on military transit to Moldova with Russia

The agreement was signed in 1995
Russian peacekeepers in Transdniestria  ITAR-TASS/Vadim Denisov
Russian peacekeepers in Transdniestria
© ITAR-TASS/Vadim Denisov

KIEV, May 21. /TASS/. Ukraine has broken its agreement with Russia on military transit to Moldova. A total of 265 deputies of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) with the minimum required 226 MPs voted on Thursday for the law on denunciation of the intergovernmental Ukrainian-Russian agreement on the transit of Russian military, temporarily stationed in Moldova, through Ukrainian territory.

The document, proposed by non-affiliated deputy Mikhail Golovko, is designed "to eliminate the existing legal prerequisites for moving military forces of the Russian Federation, deployed in the territory of Moldova, in transit through the territory of Ukraine."

The agreement between the Governments of the Russian Federation and Ukraine on the transit of Russian military units temporarily stationed in the territory of Moldova through Ukrainian territory was signed in 1995.

Russian peacekeepers in Moldova

Joint peacekeeping forces of Russia, Moldova and Transdniestria, as well as a group of military observers from Ukraine are now maintaining peace on the two banks of the Dniester River. No violence outbreaks have been recorded in the region during their presence, which allowed Chisinau and Tiraspol to negotiate peaceful settlement of disputes.

Moldova says the conflict is over and calls for changing the existing peacekeeping format by deploying an international mission of OSCE observers. Transdniestria says Russia’s military presence in the unrecognized republic guarantees its security.