EU-Russia tensions over Ukraine

 

EU-Russia tensions over Ukraine

DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL 

 

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The  EU summit seems to be facing serious expansion problems with Russia trying to  use its  power to restrain Ukraine-  an important  republic of former Soviet Union. Ukraine tries to get maximum economic benefits out of the EU-Russia rift. 

European leaders appear to have made no progress on reviving a landmark trade pact with Ukraine at the first day of an EU summit in Vilnius. The deal was planned as the highlight of a summit aimed also at building ties with other East European states.

Ukraine president Yanukovych has dismissed an EU condition for signing the agreement – that Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Ukrainian prime minister and opposition leader, be freed from jail. He has also requested more EU financial aid without success..

President Yanukovych met the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy. No details were given. In a Ukrainian TV interview earlier, he accused the EU of offering his country an inadequate amount in loans to help reform the economy. Yanukovych said Ukraine would need at least 20bn euros a year to cover the costs of upgrading its economy to “European standards”. The EU has offered to lend 610m euros (£510m; $828) in macro-financial assistance, provided that Ukraine continues to meet the conditions of an IMF stand-by loan of 11.15bn euros, agreed in 2010.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich abruptly froze plans to sign the trade and reform deal last week, under pressure from Russia.

EU leaders have been trying to persuade him to change his mind. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is expected to have talks with Yanukovych, said on arrival in Vilnius that she had “no hope” of the agreement being signed “this time”.Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaite told the Agence France-Presse news agency that EU “arguments did not reach Ukraine president’s ear and mind”.”So far we see that positions have not changed,” she said. As such there is no hope that Ukraine can strike the deal with EU at least for now.

Meanwhile, pro-EU protests are continuing in Ukrainian cities against the government’s decision to back out of the agreement. Euphora is buidling up in Kiev in favor of EU deal.

The dispute has increased tension between the EU and Russia, with Ukraine complaining it is becoming a “battleground” between the two. EU leaders said that they “strongly disapprove” of Moscow’s pressure on Ukraine not to sign – while Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the EU of “blackmail”.

Thus EU, which requires  energy resources on permanent basis from Russia,  is seen at logger heads with  the now powerful Kremlin over Ukraine.

EU-Russia conflict would not benefit Europe in  any way, especially when  US power, busy with its own problems indoors, stays away from the tensions- either to reduce them or try increasing  them as its  key policy. . 

د. عبد راف 

–BY DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL has been an educationist, Columnist-Commentator  on world affairs Expert on Mideast Affairs, Chronicler of Foreign occupations & Freedom movements (Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Xinjiang, Chechnya, etc.) Chancellor-Founder of Centor for International Affairs(CIA);   Former university Teacher;  Editor:INTERNATIONAL OPINION; FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES; Author of books;website: http://abdulruff.wordpress.com/ mail: abdulruff_jnu@yahoo.com/Phone: 91-8129081217