Ashton: Ukraine's president intends to sign Association Agreement with EU

EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton, Thursday said that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych made it clear to her during her meeting with him in Kiev on Wednesday that he intends to sign the association agreement with the EU. "What he talks about was short term economic issues. It is my view that those challenges which are real can be addressed not only by the support that comes from the EU institutions but by showing that he has a serious economic plan in signing the association agreement," Ashton told reporters as she arrived for a meeting with EU Ministers for Development and Cooperation in Brussels Thursday. She noted that the deputy prime minister of the Ukraine will be coming to Brussels today or tomorrow for talks. Meanwhile, according to western media reports, the Ukraine government is asking for 20 billion euros (USD 27.5 bn) for signing the Association Agreement with the EU. Last month, Yanukovych apparently under Russian pressure, refused to sign the agreement with Brussels sparking huge anti-government protests. On Wednesday riot police tried to dismantle the barricades set up by the demonstrators in Kiev, a move that was condemned by the EU. "I really do condemn the use of force, it's totally unacceptable," stressed Ashton.