BRUSSELS — Leaders of the European Union had a blunt message Monday for the president of Ukraine: Choose between a customs union with Russia and a free-trade agreement with us. You can't have both.
"One country cannot at the same time be a member of a customs union and be in a deep common free-trade area with the European Union," said Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. "This is not possible."
But that's exactly what Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said he hoped to achieve.
In addition, Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said Ukraine must make rapid reforms, including to the judiciary, if it wants to sign a broad association agreement with the EU in November.
It was expected that EU officials would announce a 610 million euro ($804 million) aid package for Ukraine at Monday's summit. Since 1991, the EU has given Ukraine more than 3 billion euros in assistance.
In Kiev on Monday, several thousand people marched near government buildings denouncing Yanukovych to mark his third-year anniversary in office.
The protesters chanted "Free Yulia," demanding that former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is serving a seven-year sentence on abuse-of-office charges and could face life imprisonment in a separate murder case, be released from jail.
The West has condemned the prosecution of Tymoshenko and her top allies as politically motivated and urged Ukrainian officials to release them. EU officials have said the cooperation agreement cannot go forward until concerns about democracy and misuse of the justice system have been resolved.
Related articles:
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.