The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (, "peace for bread") was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918 between the Russian SFSR and the Central Powers, but prior to that on February 9, 1918, the Central Powers signed an exclusive protectorate treaty with the Ukrainian People's Republic as part of the negotiations that took place in Brest-Litovsk, Grodno Governorate (now Brest, Belarus) recognizing the sovereignty of the republic. Although not formally annexing the territory of the former Russian Empire, Germany and Austria-Hungary secured a food supply support in return for the military protection. Ukraine was recognized as a neutral state to the Quadruple Alliance.