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| Ukraine aligns with Moscow as EU summit fails | Ukraine aligns with Moscow as EU summit fails |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A six-year campaign to lure Ukraine into integration with the EU and out of the Kremlin's orbit failed on Friday when President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign a pact at a summit in Lithuania. | A six-year campaign to lure Ukraine into integration with the EU and out of the Kremlin's orbit failed on Friday when President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign a pact at a summit in Lithuania. |
| Ten days of high-stakes brinkmanship that brought a clash between Russian and other European countries ended with the Kremlin on top, for now, although all sides were careful to leave options on the table. | Ten days of high-stakes brinkmanship that brought a clash between Russian and other European countries ended with the Kremlin on top, for now, although all sides were careful to leave options on the table. |
| Yanukovych attended the Vilnius summit under pressure to reverse last week's sudden decision to shelve a political association agreement and a free-trade pact with the EU, accords that have been negotiated for six years and were to have been the centrepiece of a meeting attended by European heads of government. | Yanukovych attended the Vilnius summit under pressure to reverse last week's sudden decision to shelve a political association agreement and a free-trade pact with the EU, accords that have been negotiated for six years and were to have been the centrepiece of a meeting attended by European heads of government. |
| "We expected more," Angela Merkel told Yanukovych in a private conversation that was filmed and released by the Lithuanian hosts. | "We expected more," Angela Merkel told Yanukovych in a private conversation that was filmed and released by the Lithuanian hosts. |
| Yanukovych remained poker-faced while pleading his case. He was under irresistible pressure from Vladimir Putin, with whom he held secret talks a fortnight ago, to forego the EU pact. | Yanukovych remained poker-faced while pleading his case. He was under irresistible pressure from Vladimir Putin, with whom he held secret talks a fortnight ago, to forego the EU pact. |
| "We have big difficulties with Moscow," he said. "I have been alone for three-and-a-half years in very unequal conditions with Russia." | "We have big difficulties with Moscow," he said. "I have been alone for three-and-a-half years in very unequal conditions with Russia." |
| The U-turn last week "surprised and disappointed" top EU officials. In September Armenia also suddenly ditched years of talks aimed at integrating with the EU in favour of offers from Moscow. | The U-turn last week "surprised and disappointed" top EU officials. In September Armenia also suddenly ditched years of talks aimed at integrating with the EU in favour of offers from Moscow. |
| The Ukrainian failure came as a dismal climax to a decade of efforts at semi-integration with neighbours to the east and around the Mediterranean, offering trade and financial benefits in return for democratic reforms while falling short of the magnetic attraction of EU membership. | The Ukrainian failure came as a dismal climax to a decade of efforts at semi-integration with neighbours to the east and around the Mediterranean, offering trade and financial benefits in return for democratic reforms while falling short of the magnetic attraction of EU membership. |
| Pro-European demonstrators who have been protesting in Kiev since last weekend were met on Friday by thousands of Yanukovych supporters, many of them bussed in. | Pro-European demonstrators who have been protesting in Kiev since last weekend were met on Friday by thousands of Yanukovych supporters, many of them bussed in. |
| A group attacked two journalists from a Ukrainian TV station who were filming in a city centre park. "Some 10 to 15 hands clung to my hood. They were beating me everywhere on the body. I was trying to defend myself," said Dmytro Gnap, one of the victims. | A group attacked two journalists from a Ukrainian TV station who were filming in a city centre park. "Some 10 to 15 hands clung to my hood. They were beating me everywhere on the body. I was trying to defend myself," said Dmytro Gnap, one of the victims. |
| Over Friday night police in Kiev broke up the remnants of the anti-government demonstration, swinging truncheons and injuring many, news agencies and witnesses said. Riot police used teargas when they dispersed the crowd of about 400 protesters. | |
| While senior officials agree Moscow has been blackmailing Yanukovych into rejecting the Brussels offer, the Ukrainian president was also given short shrift. | While senior officials agree Moscow has been blackmailing Yanukovych into rejecting the Brussels offer, the Ukrainian president was also given short shrift. |
| "If you blink in front of Russia, you always end up in trouble," Štefan Füle, the EU enlargement commissioner, told the Carnegie Europe thinktank. "Yanukoych blinked too soon." | "If you blink in front of Russia, you always end up in trouble," Štefan Füle, the EU enlargement commissioner, told the Carnegie Europe thinktank. "Yanukoych blinked too soon." |
| The British ambassador to Ukraine, Simon Smith, called Yanukovych's decision "an egregious piece of cynicism". | The British ambassador to Ukraine, Simon Smith, called Yanukovych's decision "an egregious piece of cynicism". |
| Kiev is seen to be trying to play the EU off against Russia. Leaders dismissed Yanukovych's proposals that Moscow be involved in the negotiations. | Kiev is seen to be trying to play the EU off against Russia. Leaders dismissed Yanukovych's proposals that Moscow be involved in the negotiations. |
| Calling it the "most ambitious" agreement ever offered to a non-member state, José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, said that Moscow could not be handed a veto over sovereign Ukraine's relations with Europe. | Calling it the "most ambitious" agreement ever offered to a non-member state, José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, said that Moscow could not be handed a veto over sovereign Ukraine's relations with Europe. |
| "The Ukrainian people should be disappointed," said the summit host, President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania. "Today's Ukrainian leadership has chosen a way which is going nowhere." | "The Ukrainian people should be disappointed," said the summit host, President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania. "Today's Ukrainian leadership has chosen a way which is going nowhere." |
| Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European council, said: "The offer is still on the table." | Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European council, said: "The offer is still on the table." |
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