Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on March 11 denouncing the agreement with Britain on access for British fishermen to the Russian zone of the Barents Sea, which was signed during the existence of the USSR in 1956.

This is indicated by a document on the official website of legal information of the Russian Federation.

The fishing agreement of 1956 allowed British vessels to enter the rich fishing grounds of the Barents Sea, the coast of the Kola Peninsula, and the zone along the coast of the island of Kolguyev.

The agreement was signed at a pivotal moment of the Cold War when the then leader of the USSR, Nikita Khrushchev, denounced the cult of Joseph Stalin, proposed peaceful coexistence with the West, and even personally visited Britain.

'[Putin] returned our fish to us because the shameless English have been eating it for 68 years. They imposed sanctions on us, but 40% of their diet, their menu, is made up of our cod. Now let them lose weight. Get smarter!' - said the Speaker of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, about this decision.

The Russian parliament voted to denounce the agreement on February 21.

At the same time, last year, Norway and Russia agreed on fishing for 2024 through online negotiations, marking the 'largest bilateral agreement' in this area for the Norwegian side.