The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website Monday that it expressed deep regret over the Ukrainian leadership's decision to terminate the Russian-Ukrainian Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership.
"The destructive steps taken by the current leadership of Ukraine cause deep regret," the Russian ministry said.
It said the Russia-Ukraine crisis will be overcome, adding that relations will obviously have to be restored with more responsible Ukrainian politicians.
The ministry stated that by denouncing the Friendship Treaty with Russia, Ukraine shows it is ready to easily destroy all that has been built in bilateral relations in the past decades.
Ukraine Preparing to Revise All Treaties With Russia — Foreign Minister
"The legal basis of our relationship with Russia will be gradually revised for sure. Each treaty with the Russian Federation has a clause on the procedure for its termination, and we have an internal plan on how and when we will do it," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told reporters, as quoted by the media outlet Yevropeyska Pravda.
The cabinet minister also announced that Ukraine was planning to terminate the bilateral treaty on the status of the Sea of Azov, but provided no specific timeline.
The Russian government has yet to comment on the statement.
According to the document, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is obliged to notify the Russian government of the desire to terminate the treaty.
READ MORE: Ukraine May Become NATO-Russia Buffer State After 2019 President Vote — Diplomat
On August 28, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to submit a package of documents to begin severing the treaty, which he called an anachronism, in the near future. He promised to notify Russia of the relevant decision before the end of September.
