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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Black Sea Fleet Does not Intend to Leave Ukraine

20 July, 1999 - 00:00

Russian admirals choose the right moment for optimism

By Serhiy ZGURETS, The Day
The Russian fleet will be stationed at Sevastopol forever, Admiral Vladimir
Komoyedov, Russian Black Sea Naval Commander, declared unequivocally on
July 10.

Interfax Ukraine reports that Admiral Komoyedov explains Russia's lasting
military prospects in Ukraine rather simply: "Those that do not believe
in Ukrainian-Russian friendship are our enemy." As for the development
of BSF bases at Novorossiysk, Tuapse, and Temriuk, this should not be regarded
as a possibility of the Russian contingent's transfer from Sevastopol.
"The Navy must be deployed at various sites," says Admiral Komoyedov.

Russian admirals chose an opportune time to enhance the Crimean fleet's
ideological foundation. On the one hand, NATO's use of force to bring Milosevic
to heel caused a severe response from Ukraine's Left with their substantial
number of seats in Verkhovna Rada. This response reduced the Ukrainian
military's cooperation with the north Atlantic alliance somewhat. In fact,
the Defense Ministry did not dispatch the agreed warships to participate
in a joint naval exercise in the Black Sea and the traditional Sea Breeze,
always a thorn in Moscow's side because of the inevitable appearance of
several NATO ships near the Russian base in Sevastopol, will be different
this year. It has been decided to reduce the maneuvers to a series of computerized
war games.

Nor is the Ukrainian leadership in a position to demand explanations
about why Russia is not planning to leave the Crimea 20 years from now.
On the eve of the presidential elections the regime is trying to get as
much support from the Russian-oriented electorate as possible, meaning
also Moscow's support. In this sense, the Black Sea Fleet comes in quite
handy. True, the Cabinet tried a resolution this May, determining BSF monitoring
procedures, but Moscow reacted sharply, saying it was an attempt to block
the Russian Navy's operations. Followed a hot-line exchange between President
Kuchma and Premier Stepashin; the "control" resolution was suspended. "Getting
back to it now is unrealistic, especially considering that strategic priorities
are being sacrificed for the sake of current, short-lived political concerns,"
The Day was told by one of the resolution's authors. In addition,
Russia was promised delivery of Ukraine's repaired battleship Moskva, despite
Russia's liabilities toward the Mykolayiv shipyard. Of course, against
the background of such magnanimous gestures the Russian admirals' declaration
sound quite logical.

 

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