Demarcation of the state border between Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and Moldova remains legally unresolved
Received: 05.07.2024
The official letter provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine contains contradictory statements regarding the status of the demarcation of the state border with the Russian Federation, the Republic of Moldova, and the Republic of Belarus.
On the first page of the letter, the MFA clearly states:
“The demarcation of the state border between Ukraine and the Russian Federation has been completed on the basis of the Treaty between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on the State Border dated January 28, 2003, ratified by the Law of Ukraine of April 20, 2004, No. 1681-IV.”
This means that the Ukrainian side officially recognizes the demarcation with the Russian Federation as completed and refers to a valid international treaty that legally establishes the border between the two states. The document also confirms the completion of demarcation with Moldova and Romania.
However, on the second page of the same letter, the following contradictory statement appears:
“The processes of delimitation and demarcation of the state border are ongoing, in particular on the sections of the border with the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Belarus, and the Russian Federation.”
Thus, in a single document, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserts two mutually exclusive claims: on the one hand, that the demarcation with the Russian Federation is complete, and on the other — that it is allegedly still ongoing.
This contradiction may indicate either carelessness in wording or the existence of confidential circumstances that were not disclosed in the public portion of the response.
It is important to recall that demarcation is the process of physically marking a state border on the ground using border signs (pillars, pyramids, obelisks, etc.) in accordance with an international treaty.
In contrast to delimitation, which defines the border line on maps and in documents, demarcation entails the practical establishment of that line on the terrain.
From a legal standpoint, a completed demarcation fixes the border as definitively established and recognized by both parties.
Therefore, the statement about “ongoing demarcation processes” with the Russian Federation directly contradicts the claim that it has already been completed.
