Ukraine will decide through popular vote whether to sign a free-trade pact with the European Union or join the rival Russia-led Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said Friday.
"What the choice of the Ukrainian people will be can be shown by a referendum. We don't know when it will be. When the decision will be made to join either the EU or the Customs Union, then there will be no avoiding the referendum for us," Yanukovych said in comments aired by several nationwide television channels.
Ukraine has repeatedly expressed a desire to join the European Union and is expected to sign an association agreement with the EU in November.
Moscow has been increasing pressure on Kiev to instead join the Customs Union, which would keep Ukraine under Russia's sphere of influence. Ukraine, currently an observer in the Customs Union, has said it has no plans to ascend to full membership in the bloc.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that the Customs Union might have to use protective measures should Ukraine sign the agreement with the EU. Russia claims to be worried that European goods would enter Ukraine — free of import duties — and be re-exported at low prices to the Customs Union countries, flooding the market and harming domestic producers.
Russia ramped up customs control over Ukrainian exports this month, and Russian state monopoly Gazprom earlier refused to give Ukraine a discount on natural gas, which Fitch Ratings agency said in March was an attempt to force Kiev into joining the Customs Union.
Russia has often been accused of using trade agreements as a political weapon against its neighbors. The administration just recently lifted a seven-year prohibition on Georgian wine and mineral water imports after a rocky period in bilateral relations.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
