EU blames Russia for failed deal with Ukraine
VILNIUS, Lithuania — EU leaders Friday revived Cold War rhetoric Friday, accusing Russia of bullying Ukraine into ditching a landmark deal so the former Soviet republic would stay locked in Moscow’s orbit.
Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign the deal at the last minute, acknowledging that Moscow had him cornered.
The agreement sought to improve bilateral trade, streamline industry rules and bring about key democratic reforms in Ukraine.
Yanukovych complained that the EU hadn’t offered enough in financial incentives to secure his signature. French President Francois Hollande ruled out more EUfunds to sweeten the deal.
Russia had worked aggressively to derail the deal by imposing painful trade sanctions and threatening Ukraine with giant gas bills.
And Ukraine knows what Russian pressure feels like.
Moscow had previously cut off gas supplies during bitter pricing disputes to leave Ukrainians freezing in the depth of winter. Now, it is offering Ukraine much-needed discounts for its natural gas in exchange for joining a Moscow-led Customs Union.
Yanukovych’s move sparked mass protests in the Ukranian capital Friday.
Such large demonstrations haven’t been seen since 2004 during what has become known as the Orange Revolution, which led to the overturn of Yanukovych’s fraud-marred election vic- tory and brought his pro-Western opponent to power. Yanukovych is wary of a repeat.
EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso complained about Russia’s trade threats and said “the times for limited sovereignty are over in Europe,” alleging Russia still seemed to consider Ukraine as a subservient neighbor.
Such talk was rife in the decades after World War II when the West and the Soviet Union faced off and carved up central Europe in their own spheres of influence, robbing many east European nations of their full independence.