Ceding to Russian pressure, the EU
postponed by one year the entry into force of thefree trade pact with
Ukraine, delaying its applicationuntil the end of 2015.
"Until the date that we agreed upon - the end of 2015 - the Russian
Federation pledges not to apply protective measures,”Russia's economic
Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev assured on Saturday.
"So far, we have agreed to continue dialogue for the next 15 months,
we will present our arguments while our colleagues will offer theirs,"
the minister added.
In Brussels,EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, who stood behind
the EU’s decision, said that until then,Ukraine will continue to enjoy
privileged access to the EU market through this period.
Moscow has threatened to block Ukrainian goods to Russia if Kiev
lowerstradebarriers with Europe. The EU said it would allowUkraineto
maintain its current tariffs until early 2016, but it would still have
to undertake major economic and political reform required by the
agreement.
The deal was agreed upon during a trilateral meeting in Brussels
between Russia's Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev, the
European Commissioner for Trade Karel de Guсht and Ukrainian Foreign
Minister Pavlo Klimkin. The meeting was held after Moscow expressed
concerns that the implementation of the association agreement carries
economic risks for Russian-Ukrainian relations.
The Ukraine–EU Association Agreement is a treaty between the two,
which presupposes political and economic association between the
parties.Moscow previously expressedconcernover Ukraine's signing of
the free trade agreement with the EU, as it could trigger an
uncontrolled flow of duty-free goods, and warned Kiev that Russia would
be forced to protect its market.
Meanwhile, military exercises involving some 1,300 personnel from 15
nations aredue to begin in western Ukraineon September 15. The
Pentagon has said 200 U.S. soldiers will participate in the annual
drill, called Rapid Trident. It will mark the first presence of U.S.
ground troops in Ukraine since Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea
in March and the crisis that followed.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says the goal of Russian
President Vladimir Putin is to destroy Ukraine as an independent
country.
"His goal is to take the entire Ukraine ... he wants to eliminate Ukraine as an independent country," Yatsenyuk said.
Ukraine Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey saysunspecified NATO
countries are now delivering arms to Ukraine to equip it to fight
pro-Russian separatists and "stop" Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Also, on Sunday,theOSCE monitoring mission found itselfunder
attack in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, despite the cease-fire.
Themonitoring team came under shelling attack twice in the eastern
Ukrainian city of Donetsk on Sunday despite a cease-fire between
government forces and pro-Russian separatists, a spokesman for the group
said on Monday.
(neurope.eu)