
Belgium: Poroshenko 'ready to pay price' for EU trade pact
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held a joint press conference alongside President of the European Council Donald Tusk and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels, Wednesday.
Poroshenko declared that, "from January 1, a deep and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement will be introduced in full between Ukraine and the European Union." "Unfortunately, today President Putin issued a decree, where he mentioned that he will withdraw the free trade regime of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) free trade agreement," he added. Poroshenko went on to state that "Ukraine is aware of these restrictions and the expected damage to the Ukrainian economy." "But we are ready to pay this price for our freedom and our European choice," he vowed.
Tusk announced that economic sanctions against Russia "will remain linked to the complete fulfillment of the Minsk agreement."
The leaders of the European Union (EU) member states are due to meet in Brussels on Thursday to decide on whether to extend economic sanctions against Russia after January 2016. The sanctions imposed by the EU affect Russian export, their banking system, as well as the state's defence and energy sectors. It is expected that the leaders will agree on prolonging the sanctions until the end of July 2016.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held a joint press conference alongside President of the European Council Donald Tusk and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels, Wednesday.
Poroshenko declared that, "from January 1, a deep and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement will be introduced in full between Ukraine and the European Union." "Unfortunately, today President Putin issued a decree, where he mentioned that he will withdraw the free trade regime of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) free trade agreement," he added. Poroshenko went on to state that "Ukraine is aware of these restrictions and the expected damage to the Ukrainian economy." "But we are ready to pay this price for our freedom and our European choice," he vowed.
Tusk announced that economic sanctions against Russia "will remain linked to the complete fulfillment of the Minsk agreement."
The leaders of the European Union (EU) member states are due to meet in Brussels on Thursday to decide on whether to extend economic sanctions against Russia after January 2016. The sanctions imposed by the EU affect Russian export, their banking system, as well as the state's defence and energy sectors. It is expected that the leaders will agree on prolonging the sanctions until the end of July 2016.