One of the parliamentary bills presented by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine proposes to cancel the trade agreement between Ukraine and Belarus. The reason for this proposal was that Belarus supported Russia during the armed aggression in February 2022 and continues to conduct joint military exercises.
The refusal of the Agreement is proposed “in connection with a fundamental change in circumstances and taking into account the commission of military aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders, the involvement of the Republic of Belarus in the illegal use of force against Ukraine,” the permanent representative of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine said People's Deputy Taras Melnichuk in parliament.
The bill proposes to terminate:
- Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on free trade, dated December 17, 1992 in Kyiv and ratified by the Law of Ukraine dated March 19, 1999 No. 531-XIV;
- Protocol between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on exemption from the free trade regime to the Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on free trade of December 17, 1992, completed on February 13, 1998 in Kiev and ratified by the Law of Ukraine of March 9 No. 531 -XIV;
- Protocol between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on amendments to the Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on free trade of December 17, 1992, completed on October 18, 2005 in Minsk and ratified by the Law of Ukraine of December 20, 2006.
- Let us remind you that the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said last week that the Russian occupiers have strengthened the military group on the territory of Belarus, and Minsk has deployed several additional battalions and tactical groups in two regions near the border with Ukraine. The commander of the Joint Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Sergei Naev, said on December 23 that the situation on the border with Belarus remains calm, but it can change at any moment.
