Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Ruslan Demchenko was authorized to deal with bilateral relations with Russia only on April 27, 2010, six days after the signing of the Kharkiv agreements, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said.

"Ruslan Demchenko was appointed to the post of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on February 17, 2010 by order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 227-r. At the same time, according to order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs No. 82 on the distribution of duties between deputy ministers, his powers included bilateral relations with the Russian Federation only on April 27 - that is, six days after the signing of the Kharkiv agreements and their submission for ratification to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine," the press service of the ministry informed in response to an inquiry from the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Saturday.

As reported, the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine began a pretrial investigation against officials of state authorities on the fact of committing high treason in 2008-2010.

The SBU press center told Interfax-Ukraine that the investigators are investigating, in particular, the circumstances of the preparation and signing of the "Agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine until 2042" on April 21, 2010, compliance regulations and procedures during its approval by the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada. According to preliminary data from the investigation, the signing of this document led to an increase in the number of personnel of military formations and special services of the Russian Federation involved in the annexation of the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in 2014.