Freedom House: Yanukovych vs. Ukraine’s European integration
The European Union’s Eastern Partnership Summit—scheduled for November 28–29 in Vilnius, Lithuania—is rapidly approaching. But in recent days, the prospects that Ukraine would sign a much-anticipated Association Agreement and trade pact with the EU have collapsed. The parliament, dominated by the president’s allies, repeatedly refused to pass required legislation that would have allowed jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko to seek medical treatment in Germany, in effect releasing her from politically motivated incarceration. Finally, earlier today, the governmentsuspended preparations for signing the EU agreement. Opposition forces accuse President Viktor Yanukovych of sacrificing his country’s future in order to keep his political rival behind bars.