The decision was justified given "systematic violations" of the bilateral agreement by Russia, while "Ukraine has fulfilled all of its obligations," he was quoted as saying by Interfax-Ukraine news agency from the eastern city of Dniepropetrovsk.

Given that Russian military officials have repeatedly said that Moscow is ready to proceed with the construction of a new base for the fleet near the Russian port city of Novorossiysk, there is no need to extend the accord, said Tarasyuk.

Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in 1997 that allowed Moscow to keep its Black Sea fleet in Sebastopol, which housed the fleet during Soviet times, for 20 years.

Ukraine has long been a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program of closer ties with former communist states, but the new Western-leaning government of President Viktor Yushchenko hopes to further boost its ties with the West's former Cold War-era military bloc.

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