APSun Aug 10KIEV,
Ukraine - Ukraine warned Russia on Sunday it could bar Russiannavy ships from returning to their base in the Crimea because of theirdeployment to Georgia's coast.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said the deployment of a Russian navalsquadron to Georgia's Black sea coast has the potential of drawingUkraine into the conflict.
"In order to prevent the circumstances in which Ukraine could be drawninto a military conflict ... Ukraine reserves the right to bar shipswhich may take part in these actions from returning to the Ukrainianterritory until the conflict is solved," said the statement which wasposted on the ministry's Web site.Both Ukraine and Georgia have sought to free themselves of Russia'sinfluence, integrate into the West and join NATO.The statement reflected a strong Ukrainian support for Georgia and iscertain to anger Moscow, further straining Russian-Ukrainian relations.
Russia's deputy chief of General Staff Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn saidSunday he was aware of the statement, but added that the Russiangovernment must analyze it before making comment."It makes a third party involved, and it's quite unexpected," Nogovitsynsaid said at a news conference.
A 1997 agreement between Russia and Ukraine lets the Black Sea Fleetremain in Sevastopol through 2017, but Ukrainian officials have saidthey want it out after that. The issue adds to emotions over Crimea,which was part of the Russian Federation but ceded to Ukraine during theSoviet era and became part of the independent Ukraine when the SovietUnion collapsed in 1991.
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