EU leaders: Action needed from Ukraine

Ukaine needs to take “clear and concrete” steps to move EU-Ukraine relations forward, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Vice President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton, said in a joint interview published on Friday by the Razumkov Center. The EU leaders evaluated prospects for a relationship as very good, but said that the key to progress was in Kyiv, not Brussels. The joint statement read in part: “Let me be very clear, signing and ratifying the Association Agreement and the DCFTA [Editor: Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement] will not be possible unless Ukraine urgently addresses this stark deterioration of democracy and the rule of law.”

Brad Wells: Friday’s statements by Barrosso and Ashton are perhaps the most direct statements yet from top EU officials that the Ukrainian government needs to change its course in order to restore relations. The government has turned a blind eye to EU criticism in the past and we believe it is not likely to change course – especially with a key parliamentary election coming in October – it’s mantra has been ‘stability above all else.’ The statements are in line with our expectation that the EU will continue to put pressure on Ukrainian officials and we believe there will be increasing talk of isolation and sanctions as we near the end of the year.