The Ukrainian parliament committee for international...
The deal, signed by the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on April 21, extends the lease on the Russian base in the port of Sevastopol for 25 years after the current lease expires in 2017, and may be further extended by another five years.
Deputy Speaker Mykola Tomenko, from the political bloc of former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, said the committee "has decided not to endorse this agreement" on the grounds that it was at odds with the Ukrainian Constitution.
He also said the committee believes the agreement should be sent to the Constitutional Court to pass judgment on whether it conforms to Article 17 that explicitly prohibits the deployment of foreign military bases on Ukrainian soil.
He said 10 of the 14 committee members were present at the session and that eight of them voted against the deal.
Ukraine signed the agreement, which the opposition has called an "act of treason," in exchange for securing a 30% discount for the Russian natural
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