Kyiv ends military cooperation with Russia

KYIV – President Petro Poroshenko has signed into law measures renouncing five bilateral defense-cooperation agreements between Ukraine and Russia. He signed the measures on June 8 after they were adopted by Ukraine’s Parliament on May 21. The nullified agreements include one on the transit across Ukraine of Russian military personnel stationed “in the Republic of Moldova.” Russia maintains troops and peacekeepers in Moldova’s breakaway Transdniester region, although the Moldovan government has repeatedly asked for them to be removed. The other voided pacts include one on “organizing military interstate transportation,” “on mutual protection of secret information,” “on military-intelligence cooperation” and “on defense cooperation.” (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS)