Ukraine drops plan to go West, turns East to Moscow
November 22, 2013
KIEV, Nov 21 (Reuters) – Ukraine abruptly spurned an historic new alliance with its western neighbours on Thursday, suspending an imminent trade pact with the European Union and saying it would revive talks on a deal instead with Russia, its old Soviet master.
Kiev’s sudden eastward pivot was a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who once described the Soviet Union’s demise as the tragedy of the century. His spokesman welcomed “the desire to improve and develop trade and economic cooperation” with a “close partner”.
European officials were dismayed. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, a veteran of east-west diplomacy, tweeted: “Ukraine government suddenly bows deeply to the Kremlin. Politics of brutal pressure evidently works.”