Sergei Ivanov said Russia would seek to renew its lease on the Crimean port, but will move the Fleet if it cannot.

Sergei Ivanov said Russia would seek to renew its lease on the Crimean port, but will move the Fleet if it cannot.The move will anger nationalists who consider Sevastopol a part of Russia.It is feared the port could become a flashpoint in already strained relations between Russia and the West.We are not aggressive. We have recognised the territorial integrity of all former Soviet republics.
Asked if he could envisage the Fleet not being based in the Crimea - its home for the last 225 years - Mr Ivanov, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s number two who oversees Russia’s military and industry, said:“Yes I can imagine that easily after 2017. Why not, if the Ukrainian government then in power decides not to prolong the lease?”It will also surprise the West where in the wake of the war in Georgia many fear Moscow could seek to reclaim parts of the Crimea by force to secure the Fleet’s future.