After meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Oct. 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin told journalists that Ukraine will lose its chance to enter the Russian-led customs union if it signs an association agreement with the European Union this month.
The next day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Ukraine’s
integration with the EU means that it won’t get any more benefits from
Russia. The battle over Ukraine between the West and Russia will come to
a climax of sorts during the EU’s Eastern Partnership Summit with
Ukraine and five other former Soviet repoublicx on Nov. 28-29.
