Has Russia betrayed Ukraine's breakaway republics?

On June 25th, the Federation Council of Russia revoked the decree from March  1, which empowered the Russian president with the right to deploy Russian troops in Ukraine. However, there is another "indefinite" decree left in reserve, passed in 2009, the Vedomosti wrote. 

According to the newspaper, the Federation Council issued a similar decree to then-President Dmitry Medvedev in 2009. The decree gave powers to the sitting Prime Minister, who then served as the head of state, to "operationally use Russian Armed Forces overseas."

It was also said that the decree had not been withdrawn formally, although its cancellation was not required."

Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Structure, Konstantin Dobrynin, is certain that now the situation is completely different. The Constitution of the Russian Federation does not provide for a separate procedure for canceling a decision that entitles the president to send troops to other countries.

A source in the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the permission to send troops to other countries, given to the president in 2009, "of course, continues to stay in effect." The document was adopted to be able to use armed forces immediately in case of, for example, a nuclear or a missile attack on Russia, when obtaining the same permission from the House of Parliament is impossible. It was said that the decree would be valid if combat actions in eastern Ukraine either spread to the territory of the Russian Federation, or carry a threat to the lives of civilians on both sides of the border......................... http://english.pravda.ru/russia/kremlin/25-06-2014/127895-russia_putin_troops_ukraine-0/

25/6/14

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