International Media Anticipate Ukraine-EU Association

KYIV, Ukraine, October 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --



As Ukraine and the EU approach the signing of the Association Agreement at the November Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, international media scale up the related coverage. Bloomberg, Deutsche Welle, Financial Times, Reuters, The Independent, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, UPI and others cover the topics of remaining requirements for Ukraine before the document is signed, Russian pressure on the country, as well as possible outcomes of the association.

On October 21, the Council of the EU will decide whether the requirements for the signing of the AA have been met. Next, "at the [Eastern Partnership] summit [on November 28-29, 2013], Ukraine is expected to take a historic step towards the West by signing an Association Agreement with the EU," informs The Independent.

The requirements for Ukraine include tangible progress on the issues of fair elections, reforms implementation and elimination of selective justice. As the EU has recognized the conviction and imprisonment of the former Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko to be a case of selective justice, her release from jail seems to be the only remaining obstacle on Ukraine's way to the AA.

"Were [the President of Ukraine] Yanukovych to release Tymoshenko and permit her to travel abroad for medical treatment, the [EU Council of Ministers] vote almost certainly would turn out yes," speculates The New York Times article on the topic. "Ukraine has signalled that it is close to releasing imprisoned opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko for medical treatment abroad," reads Financial Times. Reuters also reports Ukraine's readiness to settle the Tymoshenko issue soon.

Meanwhile, "Russia has stepped up pressure to dissuade Kiev from signing the deal," continues Financial Times. Ukraine's northern neighbor banned some Ukrainian goods and threatened to take other measures to make it uncomfortable for Ukraine to pursue further European integration. "Ukraine is gambling that closer European ties will outweigh the risk of retribution from Russia, which buys a quarter of its imports and supplies it with 60 percent of its gas," suggests Bloomberg.

Countering Russia's claims that Ukraine is in danger of losing its sovereignty after concluding the AA with the EU, UPI cites EU Neighborhood Policy Commissioner Stefan Fule who insists that the EU won't be chipping away at Ukraine's sovereignty: "It will be actually strengthened."