Another interesting week in the life of Ukraine. The
President Victor Yanukovych and his Prime Minister Mykola Azarov are clearly
afraid of the implications of entering into an Association Agreement and Deep
and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU. Due to be signed in Vilnius
later this month.
Many of their loyal supporters are already complaining of
the problems they are experiencing with their Russia clients/customers. The
Russians – or should I say one in particular – President Vladmir Putin is
making things as difficult as possible for all Ukrainian related matters. Putin
will do almost anything to stop the whole process of Ukraine getting closer to
the EU. Understandably many Ukrainians in the Eastern region are afraid of any deterioration
in relations with their close cousins in the Russian Federation.
But it would appear many Ukrainians are only too ready to
forge a closer relationship with Western Europe and are ready to sever all
links with the ‘evil empire’. Unfortunately the President, Prime Minister and
many members of parliament will be influenced in their decision making by short
term thinking and will totally ignore the population of Ukraine. The decision(s) will be taken based on the ‘what’s
in it for us’ approach.
There is still time for Ukraine to step into the future by
signing the agreement or if not running back into the arms of the evil empire.
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