No EU-Ukraine Accord Reached at Eastern Partnership Summit

The Eastern Partnership Summit concluded without the signing of a trade agreement between Ukraine and the European Union (EU), despite the European community leaders’ pressures.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich recently met with leaders of the European Council, the European Commission, the French president, and German chancellor, but any of those meetings led Kiev to the signing of an agreement.

The awaited moment for the signing of a Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia association agreement was not seen at the closing ceremony, though the last two mentioned ex soviet republics reached an accord, reported the local press.

French President Francois Hollande considered that Ukraine cannot impose additional conditions, like the compensation payments, to the signing of an association accord.

Hollande made reference to Kiev’s statements about the need of about $160 billion euros for a ten-year period to bring Ukrainian economic standards to the European standards.

Despite of that, Hollande admitted that the doors remain open for Ukraine to reach a trade agreement with the EU.

The Eastern Partnership includes Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, which refused to sign an association agreement with the EU, after joining the Customs Union, formed by Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.