Ukraine: the entry into force of the agreement on free trade with the EU … – The World

Ukraine: the entry into force of the agreement on free trade with the EU … – The World

The free trade agreement between Ukraine and the EU, to be ratified Tuesday, September 16 by the Ukrainian Parliament, will not come into force before the end of 2015, the European Commission announced Friday after discussions with Ukraine and Russia, which is strongly opposed.

“This leaves us fifteen months to continue discussions [...]. We agreed to extend provisional trade measures “, which reduce tariffs on some Ukrainian products to the European market ” for the same period “, said European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht

Play (subscriber edition). Ukraine diplomatic escalation with Moscow

AMERICAN SANCTIONS

The President of Ukraine had also welcomed the new sanctions imposed Friday by the EU to Russia for its support to separatists. “I’d never felt before this level of solidarity , has he said. I feel like a full member of the European family. “

These expanded sanctions have caused a diplomatic escalation with Russia. Vladimir Putin, traveling in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, has criticized the new EU sanctions, saying they were intended to undermine the peace process, and stating that Russia was considering retaliation.

The United States also

said Friday its blacklist several Russian companies, including the largest bank, Sberbank, to punish Moscow’s role in the Ukrainian crisis . Transneft, a key oil transport companies in the world, is also covered by this new wave of sanctions, which was announced Thursday by the American president, Barack Obama.

The NATO IN QUESTION

M. Poroshenko also reiterated Friday that he was seeking for his country a ‘special status’ as an ally of the United States as a non-member of the Organization of the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO), a position he defended during his visit to Washington next week.

In April 2008 Bucharest Summit, the leaders of NATO countries agreed that Ukraine destined to join the Alliance, which had infuriated Russia. But in 2010, the pro-Russian government of President Viktor Yanukovych gave up that goal while continuing to cooperate with NATO. Russia has in recent days warned Ukraine against any hint of Atlanticist Kiev, highlighting that this could “derail” looking for a solution to the conflict in that country.

Watch the video: Ukraine: Understanding the origins of the crisis in five minutes