What lay behind Kyiv's decision to let the Friendship Treaty lapse?
A look back at the days around 28 September 2018, when Russia acknowledged notification that Ukraine would not renew the 1997 agreement.
What happened to the treaty that anchored relations between Kyiv and Moscow? By 28 September 2018, the answer was already settled: Ukraine had decided not to renew it, and Russia had acknowledged being told so.
The acknowledgement came on 25 September 2018, when Russia confirmed that it had been notified of Ukraine's decision not to renew the Russian–Ukrainian Friendship Treaty.
What the treaty was
The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, also known as the "Big Treaty", was signed in 1997. It fixed the principle of strategic partnership and recognised the inviolability of existing borders. It also committed both sides to respect territorial integrity and not to use their territory to harm each other's security.
The decision
The decision followed the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014. Ukraine's president, Petro Poroshenko, had signed a decree not to extend the treaty on 19 September 2018.
The agreement did not end immediately. It later expired on 31 March 2019.
