EU-Ukraine association deal in the balance

A series of snubs heightened the tensions in the run-up to the summit

An association agreement between Ukraine and the European Union hangs in the balance less than two weeks before Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s president, is scheduled to receive leaders of the EU’s institutions in Kiev. 

Both sides had planned to sign the agreement at the summit, on 19 December, but this intention was derailed in October when a Ukrainian court sentenced Yulia Tymoshenko, an opposition leader and former prime minister, to seven years in prison for abuse of office. The charges were seen as politically motivated.

The text of the association agreement and of a free-trade agreement linked to it have been finalised, and the summit itself no longer appears to be in doubt. “Both sides agreed to go forward with preparations,” an EU official said, adding that the EU had “no conditions” for the summit to take place. But, the source said, it is “unclear” whether Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, and José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, will put their initials under the agreements.

Snubs heighten tension

Even if the agreements are initialled, many member states are in no mood to ratify them. The foreign minister of one of the member states said that the association agreement should be initialled at the summit, because there would be “plenty of room” during the ratification process to exert pressure on the Ukrainian government.

A series of snubs heightened the tensions in the run-up to the summit. A visit by Yanukovych to Brussels in October was cancelled. Late in November, Ukrainian officials seemed to imply that Yanukovych might be in Moscow during the summit, although the foreign ministry has since denied this. Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, has no plans to travel to Kiev for the summit, a spokesperson said – although the established practice is that Ashton attends such summits.