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Ukrainian president heads to Russia to discuss loans Ukrainian president heads to Russia to discuss loans
(about 1 hour later)
Ukraine's president, Viktor Yanukovych, will go to Moscow on Tuesday in an attempt to secure loans and energy benefits after failing to extract promises of billions in aid from the European Union.Ukraine's president, Viktor Yanukovych, will go to Moscow on Tuesday in an attempt to secure loans and energy benefits after failing to extract promises of billions in aid from the European Union.
As EU foreign ministers declared that the door remained open for Yanukovych to sign up for a political association and trade pact with Brussels – the issue that has sparked a month of street protests against his rule in Kiev – reports in Moscow indicated that Russia was prepared to slash gas prices and lend generously. As street protests continued in Kiev at Yanukovych's failure to sign up to a political association and trade pact with Brussels, reports in Moscow indicated that Russia was prepared to slash gas prices and lend generously.
Senior EU sources said that in negotiations in Brussels last week Serhiy Arbuzov, Ukraine's deputy prime minister, demanded €20bn as the price for Kiev to sign up to the European pact to cover trade losses with Russia and the impact on Ukrainian industry. The request was dismissed. EU sources said that in negotiations in Brussels last week, Serhiy Arbuzov, the deputy prime minister, demanded €20bn (£17bn) to sign up to the European pact to cover trade losses with Russia and the impact on Ukrainian industry. The request was dismissed.
Despite an announcement from Stefan Füle, the EU commissioner for enlargement, on Sunday that the EU was freezing talks with Kiev, foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday maintained that the door remained open. Despite an announcement from Stefan Füle, the EU commissioner for enlargement, on Sunday that the EU was freezing talks with Kiev, foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Mondaymaintained that the door remains open.
Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister, accused Yanukovych of doublespeak, reflecting broad European exasperation with a president viewed as untrustworthy. Bildt also charged the Kremlin with orchestrating a propaganda campaign over Ukraine using "outright lies". Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister, accused Yanukovych of doublespeak, reflecting broad European exasperation with a president viewed as untrustworthy. Bildt also charged the Kremlin with orchestrating a propaganda campaign over Ukraine, using "outright lies".
Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, held talks with the EU ministers in Brussels and said afterwards that it was entirely up to Ukraine to make its own sovereign decisions over its alliances. After talks with EU ministers, Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said it was entirely up to Ukraine to decide its alliances.
The expectation in Brussels is that Yanukovych will continue to try to play one side off against another in the east-west tussle over Ukraine's future. The expectation in Brussels is that Yanukovych will continue to try to play one side off against the other in the east-west tussle over Ukraine's future.
The senior official said there could be a "revolution" in Ukraine if Yanukovych agreed to join a Moscow-dominated customs union. But nor was he expected to finalise the EU pact after refusing to sign it at an EU summit in Lithuania last month. The senior official said there may be a revolution in Ukraine if Yanukovych agrees to join a Moscow-dominated customs union. But nor was he expected to finalise the EU pact after refusing to sign it at an EU summit in Lithuania last month.
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