20/12/2013 18:21
EU leaders still wants Ukraine deal, but not at any price
European Union leaders hardened their position Friday against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, digging in their heels over the bloc's refusal to dig deeper into its wallet for Kiev to sign a landmark political and free trade deal, the Voice of Russia reported.
"Europe is open for (the) Ukrainian people. But not necessarily for this government," Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said at the start of the second day of a Brussels summit. Her country currently holds the bloc's presidency.
"This is not a question of money," said Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen, calling the association agreement a "value choice."
"We are not carpet dealers," Luxembourg's new prime minister, Xavier Bettel said, referring to Ukraine's efforts to improve the offer.
Ukraine had asked the EU for more funds to help cover the costs associated with signing the deal. After the bloc refused at a summit in Vilnius last month, Yanukovych agreed to accept cut-price gas and loans from Russia, which has been vying for closer ties with Kiev.
He also put on ice the association deal, prompting large pro-European protests and calls for the president to resign.
"You can feel huge endorsement in the Ukrainian population for the EU," said Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann. "We cannot desert the people who now have hopes in us."
At the same time, they said the issue had to be settled within Ukraine.
"It would not be opportune for us to impose something that could possibly divide the country," Bettel said.
The issue has also strained relations between Brussels and Moscow, ahead of an EU-Russia summit in late January.