Europe is trying to keep Ukraine within its sphere of influence without offering too much support. Relations between Brussels and Kyiv are tense, despite the warm embraces that marked the beginning of the seventh EU-Ukraine summit on October 7th.
Just a month ago, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma signed an economic union treaty with Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, which can be considered the most serious effort to date to integrate the former Soviet economies. This agreement strengthens Ukrainian ties with Moscow and distances Kyiv from Brussels, as does another contentious issue leading up to the Yalta summit: the announcement by the Ukrainian state oil company that it will cease transporting Caspian crude to Europe and instead export Russian oil to the Mediterranean. Next year, Ukraine will see the borders of the European Union reach its doorstep, and its aspiration is to become a member.
For now, Brussels is avoiding even mentioning when it believes Kyiv will be ready to sign an association agreement. However, it does acknowledge the progress Kyiv has made in implementing economic reforms, highlighting the stable growth of the Ukrainian economy, the stability of the national currency, and the low inflation rate. Furthermore, the EU emphasizes that it will always be ready to support economic reforms in Ukraine.
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