Ukraine wants Association Agreement ASAP, president says

Ukraine is oriented towards the soonest possible signing of the Association Agreement with the EU, President Viktor Yanukovych said on Dec. 14. His government is ready for widescale and thorough work to ensure the agreement’s effective implementation, he said. Euro-integration remains an unchanged foreign policy priority, he said.

Zenon Zawada: Nothing new here except the statement is likely a negotiating card for Yanukovych as he’s expected to head to Moscow tomorrow to negotiate lower natural gas prices in exchange for Customs Union conformity measures, among other serious concessions. Meanwhile, any statements about a quick Association Agreement will need to be backed by measures that the Yanukovych administration is unwilling to take so far, such as providing for the release of political prisoners, as identified by Western governments.