This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/21/yulia-tymoshenko-ukraine-fails-pass-bills

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Ukraine fails to pass bills freeing Yulia Tymoshenko before EU summit Ukraine fails to pass bills freeing Yulia Tymoshenko before EU summit
(35 minutes later)
President Viktor Yanukovich of Ukraine delivered an almighty snub to Europe on Thursday when his parliamentary supporters ditched legislation aimed at partly integrating the country with the EU. Ukraine's president, Viktor Yanukovich, delivered an almighty snub to Europe on Thursday when his parliamentary supporters ditched legislation aimed at partly integrating the country with the EU.
A week before a crucial EU summit in Lithuania which will be dominated by the Brussels-Moscow tug of war over Ukraine's future, parliament in Kiev failed to pass any of six new laws seen as necessary for a breakthrough in Vilnius on Friday next week. A week before an EU summit in Lithuania that will be dominated by the Brussels-Moscow tug of war over Ukraine's future, the parliament in Kiev failed to pass any of six new laws seen as necessary for a breakthrough in Vilnius on Friday next week.
The bills would have cleared the way for the departure to Germany for medical treatment of Yanukovich's archrival Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister who was jailed in 2011 for seven years. The bills would have cleared the way for the departure to Germany for medical treatment of Yanukovich's arch-rival Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister who was jailed in 2011 for seven years.
Yanukovich's Party of the Regions did not vote on any of the six bills, condemning them to failure, amid calls of shame, scandal, and treason from the pro-European opposition, which is planning a big demonstration in Kiev this weekend in favour of Ukraine's "European option". Yanukovich's Party of the Regions did not vote on any of the six bills, condemning them to failure, amid calls of "shame", "scandal" and "treason" from the pro-European opposition, which is planning a big demonstration in Kiev this weekend in favour of Ukraine's "European option".
Yanukovich's brinkmanship came as a humiliation for Stefan Fuele, the EU commissioner for enlargement, who went to Kiev for talks with the president ahead of the vote. Yanukovich's brinkmanship came as a humiliation for Stefan Fuele, the EU commissioner for enlargement, who went to Kiev for talks with the president before the vote.
"I am encouraged to see the determination of the president in cooperation with all parliamentary factions to adopt key legislation on 21 November," said Fuele ahead of the fiasco in parliament. "I am encouraged to see the determination of the president in co-operation with all parliamentary factions to adopt key legislation on 21 November," said Fuele before the fiasco in parliament.
According to reports in Kiev, Yanukovich told Fuele that he was not prepared to sign the pact with the EU in Vilnius, potentially setting back by years the country's prospects of quicker integration with the EU.According to reports in Kiev, Yanukovich told Fuele that he was not prepared to sign the pact with the EU in Vilnius, potentially setting back by years the country's prospects of quicker integration with the EU.
At stake is a trade agreement and a political association deal stemming from 2005 when the EU launched its eastern neighbourhood policy, which offered trade and political benefits to post-Soviet states traditionally falling within Moscow's orbit. The policy falls short of offering eventual membership of the EU or negotiations to join. Moldova and Georgia are expected to sign agreements with the EU in Vilnius. Armenia, under strong Russian pressure, has already dropped its European ambitions in favour of joining the Kremlin's Eurasian customs bloc. At stake is a trade agreement and a political association deal stemming from 2005 when the EU launched its eastern neighbourhood policy, which offered trade and political benefits to post-Soviet states traditionally falling within Moscow's orbit. The policy falls short of offering eventual membership of the EU or negotiations to join.
Of the four countries, Ukraine is the main prize because of its size, geography and history. A failure next week will represent a foreign policy debacle for the EU. President Vladimir Putin, who appears to view the contest for Ukraine as a zero-sum game between Russia and the west, has been tightening Russia's trade screws on Ukraine and the other countries, and the Moscow media are issuing daily warnings of the bleak future facing Ukraine should it risk a westward leap. Moldova and Georgia are expected to sign agreements with the EU in Vilnius. Armenia, under strong Russian pressure, has already dropped its European ambitions in favour of joining the Kremlin's Eurasian customs bloc.
Of the four countries, Ukraine is the main prize because of its size, geography and history. A failure next week would represent a foreign policy debacle for the EU.
Vladimir Putin, who appears to view the contest for Ukraine as a zero-sum game between Russia and the west, has been tightening Russia's trade screws on Ukraine and the other countries, and the Moscow media are issuing daily warnings of the bleak future facing Ukraine should it risk a westward leap.
The main terms for a breakthrough concern what the EU calls an end to "selective justice" in Ukraine, meaning that the courts and the judiciary are manipulated for political and business reasons. The touchstone for these criteria is the fate of Tymoshenko, with Germany insisting she be allowed to leave the country, while others such as France and Poland argue that the prospects for such a geo-strategic shift in Russia's backyard should not be tied to the fate of a single individual.The main terms for a breakthrough concern what the EU calls an end to "selective justice" in Ukraine, meaning that the courts and the judiciary are manipulated for political and business reasons. The touchstone for these criteria is the fate of Tymoshenko, with Germany insisting she be allowed to leave the country, while others such as France and Poland argue that the prospects for such a geo-strategic shift in Russia's backyard should not be tied to the fate of a single individual.
Diplomats and officials in Brussels, while dismayed by the serial negative signals from Yanukovich in recent weeks, remained nonetheless hopeful that the president was bluffing, seeking to extract better terms from the EU, and would yet yield at the last minute in Vilnius and issue a presidential pardon for Tymoshenko. Diplomats and officials in Brussels, while dismayed by the serial negative signals from Yanukovich in recent weeks, nonetheless remained hopeful that the president was bluffing, seeking to extract better terms from the EU, and would yet yield at the last minute in Vilnius and issue a presidential pardon for Tymoshenko.
"The future of EU-Ukraine relations remains very unclear," said Hannes Swoboda, leader of the social democrats in the European parliament. "The parliamentary decision raises profound doubts about how serious Ukraine's commitment to the EU really is. We deplore the pressure and blackmailing tactics that Russia has used against Ukraine and other countries. It is equally deplorable that Ukraine seems to have given in to this pressure.""The future of EU-Ukraine relations remains very unclear," said Hannes Swoboda, leader of the social democrats in the European parliament. "The parliamentary decision raises profound doubts about how serious Ukraine's commitment to the EU really is. We deplore the pressure and blackmailing tactics that Russia has used against Ukraine and other countries. It is equally deplorable that Ukraine seems to have given in to this pressure."
Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.