| Summary: | The last-minute decision of the then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to suspend negotiations,
which had been ongoing for several years, with the European Union to sign association and free trade
agreements, pushed pro-European protesters in Ukraine to the streets to demonstrate against the
government’s decision. A pro-Western government emerged in Ukraine in the aftermath of the
uprising, which was not taken lightly by Kremlin. Russia took some actions, such as the annexation of
Crimea and the support of armed separatists in eastern Ukraine, which continues to pose a problem
for the Ukrainian government. Kiev is firmly oriented toward the European Union, as the newly elected
president signed the association and free trade agreements with EU and the parliamentary elections
results were another crucial step for stabilizing the situation in Ukraine. However, the ultimate success
of the shift toward the West to be assured depends on the evolution of the situation, as the on the
process of reforms and the support Ukraine needs for it from its partners
|
|---|