Ukraine must meet EU requirements by May, EU leaders say

EU leaders gave Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych a May deadline to meet 11 requirements for signing the Association Agreement. On Feb. 25, Yanukovych met in Brussels with EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. Among those 11 requirements is to arrange for the release of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, which has been the most difficult hurdle in the process. Yanukovych reportedly said he’s willing to release Tymoshenko to the West for medical treatment only if she is forbidden to participate in Ukrainian politics, the Ukrayinska Pravda news site reported on Feb. 26.

Zenon Zawada: The EU leaders proposed their 11 requirements with no flexibility, reported Ukrayinska Pravda. We don’t expect his administration will fulfill them all in just two months, not only regarding Tymoshenko but on other issues, which are challenging as well. For instance, the EU wants Ukraine to adopt open-list elections. The Yanukovych administration is reluctant to commit to any form of elections, wanting to reserve the flexibility of switching voting systems. Moreover, the Yanukovych administration has already told EU officials it won’t pursue reforms proposed for the state prosecutor’s office, Ukrayinska Pravda reported. Given the 11 requirements are unlikely to be met by May, much will depend on the extent to which the EU leadership is willing to bend to accommodate Yanukovych for the sake of Ukraine’s long-term EU integration prospect.