Politics of Ukraine

Ukraine, EU sign political part of agreement

BRUSSELS -- Representatives of the Ukrainian provisional government on Friday in Brussels signed the association agreement with the European Union.

The agreement was signed by on behalf of Ukraine by acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, officials said.

Ukraine and the EU signed on Friday the political chapter of the Association Agreement.

The event took place at a ceremony attended by European Council and European Commission Presidents, as well as by heads of state and government of all EU members, Ukrainian newspaper KyivPost has reported.

EU is 'obliged' to use enlargement in its policy toward Ukraine, Commissioner Stefan Fule said on Tuesday.

Speaking for German newspaper Die Welt, Fule, who is in charge precisely of the EU's enlargement policy, said the bloc should use "its strongest instrument" if it wants to deal with "this part of Eastern Europe which last events have affected".

The defense ministers of Ukraine and Russia have agreed on a truce in Crimea by March 21, according to Ukraine's acting Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh.

Russia is to lift the blockade of Ukrainian bases in Crimea by March 21.

A Crimean Tatar youth holding a sign reading ‘No illegal referendum’ as pro-Ukrainian demonstrators marched in the streets of Simferopol on Friday.

By John Kittmer *

A choice isn’t a choice when it is made with a gun to your head.

EU rejects Crimea-Kosovo comparisons

Threats of genocide spurred Kosovo's separation, but no such threat lies in Crimea.

Propaganda billboards in Crimea draw comparisons to Nazism to persuade voters to separate from Ukraine. [AFP]

Russian energy giant Gazprom has warned that it will stop supplies to Ukraine if it does not pay its debt.

Alexei Miller, its Executive Director, explained Ukraine currently owes USD 1.89 B and assure his company "cannot supply gas for free", he was reported by Businessweek as saying.

Both Houses of the Russian Parliament will approve a move by Crimea to join the Russian Federation.

This is the first official sign that Moscow backs the actions of the new Crimean authorities, which announced on Thursday the peninsula was seceding from Ukraine and would hold a referendum on March 16 to confirm the decision.

The EU will unilaterally open the European market for Ukrainian goods and producers.

Brussels has also approved the decision to sign a political part of the Association Agreement with Kiev "within nearest time", Ukrainian Government's website has informed.

Crimea to hold referendum on status on March 16

CRIMEA, KIEV -- Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea will hold a referendum on March 16 to decide on its future status, Itar-Tass has reported.

The news agency said the local government's deputy president, Rustam Temirgaliev, confirmed the date.