ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told his Ukrainian counterpart on Friday that Ukraine could be in breach of a friendship treaty between the two countries if it joins NATO, Russia's foreign minister said.
At a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko inSt Petersburg, Medvedev also urged Kiev not to take anyunilateral steps to expel the Russian navy from the base itleases on Ukraine's Black Sea coast.
Ukraine's Western-leading leaders have secured a commitmentfrom NATO to admit it to the alliance eventually, a move thatirked Russia, and they say they want to review the presence ofthe Russian Black Sea fleet in the Ukrainian port ofSevastopol.
Speaking after Medvedev and Yushchenko met, Russian ForeignMinister Sergei Lavrov said both the NATO and Sevastopol issueswere governed by a 1997 friendship treaty signed by the twocountries.
"The treaty between Russia and Ukraine .. contains theobligation on the two parties not to do anything which wouldcreate threats or risks for the security of the other party,"Lavrov told a conference call with reporters.
"We do believe NATO expansion, which would include Ukraine,would create a risk for Russian security," he added.
"This was reiterated by President Medvedev, that we do notbelieve NATO membership for Ukraine would serve ... theinterests of the two countries."
On the issue of Sevastopol, the Russian foreign ministersaid Medvedev had "called upon our Ukrainian colleagues to ...resolve all issues related to the functioning of the Black Seafleet ... avoiding any unilateral acts."
