Ukraine has been pressing Russia to begin discussions on the fleet's withdrawal. But Russia has dragged its feet, suggesting that Moscow may seek to use the presence of the fleet as a means of pressuring Ukraine.
黑海舰队也是另一个紧张局势的潜在的源头。根据1997年签署的协议，乌克兰授权俄罗斯在2017年前可以在克里米亚地区的塞瓦斯托波尔港驻扎舰队。乌克兰一直在敦促俄罗斯开始就舰队撤离一事进行商议，但俄罗斯一直拖拉，这暗示了莫斯科想要利用其舰队在乌克兰的驻扎，作为向乌克兰施压的手段。