Russia Black Sea Fleet presence in Ukraine extended for 25 more years

I’m more interested in what the Russians hope to gain from this. They’re paying exhorbitant amounts of money to maintain a fleet they can’t afford. Most of the Black Sea Fleet’s ships will be retiring in the coming decade and the construction rate for new vessels is hardly enough to replace them, even if we disregard the other fleets. In my opinion the Russian Navy should have taken this opportunity to cut their losses and downsize by retiring the Black Sea Fleet by 2017(when the ships themselves retire).

The Black Sea Fleet isn’t going anywhere soon for several reasons.

– First and foremost for historical / nationalist reasons
– Economic reasons (current and planned Oil and Gas pipelines in the area)
– Proximity and access to the Mediterranean
– Presence in the Ukraine and proximity to the Caucasus and Balkans (areas of interest for Russia)

Ummm… how about “since before Soviet times”… as the Imperial Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet was based there.

Yep. Sevastopol was founded 1783, for the specific purpose of providing a base for the Imperial Russian Black Sea fleet.

134 years as an Imperial Russian naval base, 5 years under German/White Russian/Ukrainian nationalist control, 69 years the USSR, & 19 years as a Russian base on the territory of independent Ukraine – so far.

And give up and easy to defend area along with access to the Mediterranean and the Middle East?

Quite a ludicrous proposition!

Can you explain this? How does a Black Sea Fleet at Sevastopol give “access to the Mediterranean and the Middle East”? How is Sevastopol an ‘easy to defend area”, compared to Novorossiysk?

I’m more interested in what the Russians hope to gain from this. They’re paying exhorbitant amounts of money to maintain a fleet they can’t afford. Most of the Black Sea Fleet’s ships will be retiring within a decade and the construction rate for new vessels is hardly enough to replace them, even if neglecting the needs of the other fleets. In my opinion the Russian Navy should have taken this opportunity to cut their losses and downsize by retiring the Black Sea Fleet.

And give up and easy to defend area along with access to the Mediterranean and the Middle East?

Quite a ludicrous proposition!

I’m more interested in what the Russians hope to gain from this. They’re paying exhorbitant amounts of money to maintain a fleet they can’t afford. Most of the Black Sea Fleet’s ships will be retiring in the coming decade and the construction rate for new vessels is hardly enough to replace them, even if we disregard the other fleets. In my opinion the Russian Navy should have taken this opportunity to cut their losses and downsize by retiring the Black Sea Fleet by 2017(when the ships themselves retire).

This is the most expensive base on the world. If the figures are true, Ukraine will have more than 4billion$ indirectly every year which is a great deal for them.

He also said that the fleet had been stationed in Sevastopol since Soviet times and the local infrastructure was set up for the naval base.

Ummm… how about “since before Soviet times”… as the Imperial Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet was based there.

From RIAN

Ukraine’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the extension of Russia’s lease on a naval base in Crimea conforms to the country’s Constitution, Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Hryshchenko said on Thursday.

The lease agreement, signed on Wednesday, extends Russian naval presence in the port of Sevastopol for 25 years after the current lease expires in 2017, and may be further extended by another five years.

The Ukrainian opposition earlier said any prolongation of Russian military presence would require amendments to the Constitution as well as a national referendum.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said the country would benefit from the extension of the lease agreement as Ukraine would be receiving money on a cash basis for the lease, opposite to writing off the debts for the use of the Russian natural gas.

“Considering that the annual lease fee for the presence of the Black Sea Fleet was $97.850 million, this is the sum which was used in offset settlements every year to reduce the debt for natural gas consumed by Ukraine,” he said, explaining that Ukraine had accumulated debts for gas supplies since it gained independence in 1990s.

“We have agreed that Russia will give a considerable discount [on gas prices] for the next 10 years,” Yanukovych said.

He also said that the fleet had been stationed in Sevastopol since Soviet times and the local infrastructure was set up for the naval base.

KIEV, April 22 (RIA Novost)

Russia will pay higher rent for its naval base in Ukraine starting in 2017 and payments will be made in hard cash, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

The lease agreement, signed on Wednesday, extends Russian naval presence in the port of Sevastopol for 25 years after the current lease expires in 2017, and may be further extended by another five years.

MOSCOW, April 22 (RIA Novosti)

:eek::o Unlikely.

So was the Russians getting continued use of Krimea bases. So we though the sale of Mistrals to Russia to be. Bummer for Sevmash if this should happen (which is indeed unlikely)

We might even see Kuznetsov dock again in the Ukraine for overhaul?

:eek::o Unlikely.

It wasn’t the Oranges that destroyed the economy. That belongs to no party. It was just straight up corruption.

Off-course but the Orange obsession to confront Russia even damaging self-interest played a big part also. Add also a self-damaging ultra-neoliberal economic path and you will have the same effects seen i.e. in Russia in 1998 and in Argentina in 2001.

Anyway, given the low productivity of Russian shipyards and the shortage of repair spaces in Russia, it will be interesting to see if some Russian vessels are sent to Nikolayev

It wasn’t the Oranges that destroyed the economy. That belongs to no party. It was just straight up corruption.

Furthermore this will be a blessing deal for the heavily damaged (by the Oranges) Ukrainian economy.

We might even see Kuznetsov dock again in the Ukraine for overhaul?

The Oranges are a minority now.

Yeap but they are a minority of more than 40%. They are furiously screaming on the subject.

They’re an extreme just like the pro-Russians are the opposite extreme. This is a pro-Russian decision,

Fully agreed. Ukraine seems as an extremely polarized country and that’s bad because of the never fading tensions between both visions.

but if one looks at Ukraine’s economy and especially the well being of Crimea, this is in the best interest of the nation. I don’t expect Ukraine to make giant concessions to Russia (or the EU). Especially if Yanukovich wants to retain power.

Actually I think Mr Yanukovich got a very favorable deal if you consider that the discount on gas prices is around 40 billinos for the 25 years (with current gas values). This in exchange of a base ALREADY SETLED! I think giant concessions were obtained from Russia and not given to Russia.

Furthermore this will be a blessing deal for the heavily damaged (by the Oranges) Ukrainian economy.

Nothing will change in Ukraine. It’ll be like it is now and how it has been the last few years. It will just last 25 years longer.

The Oranges are a minority now. They’re an extreme just like the pro-Russians are the opposite extreme. This is a pro-Russian decision, but if one looks at Ukraine’s economy and especially the well being of Crimea, this is in the best interest of the nation. I don’t expect Ukraine to make giant concessions to Russia (or the EU). Especially if Yanukovich wants to retain power.

To be honest, I think Yanukovich will opt for a middle of the road stance with regards to Russia or the EU. Just because they move toward Russia and away from the EU doesn’t mean they’re abandoning relations.