You're reading: Yatseniuk says question of Russian fleet’s presence in Ukraine should be postponed until 2016

The question of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's withdrawal from Ukraine is not currently on the agenda, and the question should be discussed in 2016, Ukrainian presidential candidate Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.

He said this at a meeting with the workers of the Fiolent plant in Simferopol on Monday.

"Our relations with Russia are regulated by the agreement on the temporary stationing of the Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine. So I’ll never raise the question of the early withdrawal of the Black Sea fleet. We’re a European country and are observing international agreements. That’s why Ukraine won’t unilaterally review the rent for the Black Sea Fleet’s presence," Yatseniuk said.

He said that any decision on the Black Sea Fleet should only take national interests into account.

"Today is not the year 2016. Are we already withdrawing the fleet? Perhaps they will leave [Ukraine] themselves in 2016. Nothing can be ruled out, can’t it? And perhaps we’ll change our interests and policies in 2016," Yatseniuk said.