Ukraine Ditches Plans for EU Deal, Turns to Russia.

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Ria Novosti

KIEV, November 21 (RIA Novosti) — Ukraine’s government decided Thursday to call off the planned signing of a landmark association agreement with the EU that could have weakened the former Soviet nation’s bonds with Russia.

The Cabinet said in a decree that the decision was motivated by the need to consolidate economic ties with Russia and member states of the Moscow-led Commonwealth of Independence States alliance.

The stunning reversal of course will be greeted with dismay in the European Union, which had been hoping to steer Kiev toward closer economic integration with Europe.

Ukraine’s government has, instead of committing to the EU deal, proposed creating a trilateral commission between itself, Russia and the European Union.

Read more: http://en.ria.ru/russia/20131121/184845623/Ukraine-Rejects-Laws-to-Free-Tymoshenko-Jeopardises-EU-Deal.html

[bemildred]

1. Reality rears it's ugly head, eh? nt

[pampango]

2. The EU wants a more open, transparent judiciary. Putin doesn't care; just wants Ukraine.

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.

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.

"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."

[MrTriumph]

3. Ukraine makes a bone headed move.

Wow, and at times we think our government is foolish. When it comes to bad decisions, Ukraine is today's winner (or is that loser?).

The comparison between the EU and Russia's CIS is like day and night. Our company occasionally deals with Russian companies. Compared to the many we deal with in the EU, Russian companies have light-years to go to catch up when it comes to essential elements of a modern economy, specifically banking, production and transport. Lenin and his crowd left Russia a huge hole to dig out of.

[happyslug]

5. But you go with your source of energy

The Ukraine gets its Oil and Natural Gas from Russia, and that by itself means it MUST have good relations with Russia. A good example of this wa Italy between WWI and WWII. During WWI, Italy Source of energy was English Coal. English Coal production peaked in the 1920s and started a slow decline. England, like most energy producers in such situations, stop selling coal to those furtherest away, and that included Italy. Thus Italy had to turn to Germany for Coal.

You may say, but both Italy and Germany were Fascist by WWII, and I would agree, but when Hitler first moved to annex Austria, it was Mussolini massing troops on the Italian-Austria Border that stopped him. Hitler only annexed Austria after he had bought off Italy.

More recently has been Turkey's position on Syria. Turkey gets its oil and Natural Gas from Iran, thus while Turkey wants Assad removed they are NOT going to do anything that makes Iran mad at them (and the lack of supplies via Turkey is the reason Syrian Civil War is at a Stalemate).

The Ukraine has to secure its energy supplies, and right now that means keeping Russia happy.

[pampango]

4. On a related note: With or without EU agreement, Ukraine must eradicate torture

http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/news-highlight/56428_Riot_police_officers_guard_the_Ukrainian_presidential_administration_building_in_Kiev(1).jpg
Amnesty International has documented Ukraine's actions and challenges remaining to eradicate police torture.

The Ukrainian authorities must make real progress towards eliminating torture and other ill-treatment by law enforcement officials in line with the country’s international obligations, Amnesty International said ahead of the signing of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement.

"Irrespective of the future of the Association Agreement with Ukraine, the EU must go on pushing Ukraine to comply with its international obligations. Ukraine is an important member of the European and international community. The country’s authorities have voluntarily signed up to all major international human rights agreements – the absolute ban on torture among them," said Heather McGill, Ukraine researcher at Amnesty International.

The Association Agreement offers enhanced cooperation in trade, energy, banking and many other areas, and is based on common values, including "democracy and rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, [and] good governance".

The EU had made the eradication of "selective justice" a pre-requisite for signing the agreement on 28 November in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, which currently holds the EU Presidency. It is expected that the Ukrainian authorities will allow Yuliya Tymoshenko, the imprisoned former prime minister and leader of the opposition party All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland", to travel to Germany for treatment for a back injury.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/or-without-eu-agreement-ukraine-must-eradicate-torture-2013-11-19

Signing "international human rights agreements" and honoring them are two different things. Eliminating "selective justice" may have been too big a hurdle for Ukraine's leaders. It is doubtful that Putin is insisting that this be eliminated.