MOSCOW, April 01. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Federation Council has unanimously approved of the law to terminate the Russian-Ukrainian agreements on the Black Sea Fleet. All 134 upper house members voted for the decision. 

The bill will now have to be signed by President Vladimir Putin to come into effect.

Earlier, the State Duma has approved the denunciation of Russian-Ukrainian agreements on the Black Sea Fleet. The proposal was approved unanimously by 433 members of parliament.

On March 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted a proposal to the State Duma on terminating the legal effect of a number of Russian-Ukrainian agreements on the parameters of division of the Black Sea Fleet that were signed on May 28, 1997, as well as on the status and conditions of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s deployment on the territory of Ukraine, on reciprocal payments in connection with the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s deployment in Ukraine, and on the stationing of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine (the latter agreement signed April 21, 2010).

The Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, a city with a special status on the Crimean Peninsula, where most residents are Russians, signed agreements with Russia to become its constituent members on March 18 after a referendum two days earlier in which most Crimeans voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry notified Ukraine about the intention to denounce agreements on the Black Sea Fleet’s presence in Crimea on March 28. The ministry also announced that Ukraine can withdraw its military property from the republic.