07.12 Ukrainian Premier Hails Imminent Russian Deal as Protests Continue

KIEV, December 7 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said late Friday that a major economic deal with Russia was imminent as protesters in Kiev geared up for another weekend of protests amid the ongoing political stand-off in the former Soviet nation.

“We are talking about preparations for a big agreement about strategic partnership with the Russian Federation,” Azarov told journalists, according to a government statement.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday in the Russian city of Sochi on the way back from a visit to China.

No details of the meeting were released, but Azarov said that the two presidents discussed a road map for the elimination of trade conflicts, in particular disagreements over gas supplies.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, said Saturday that no agreements on an energy deal had been reached in the discussions, and that Ukraine’s accession to the Customs Union had not been touched upon.  

Opposition leader Arseny Yatsenyuk said Saturday he had information that the partnership agreement is already reached and Yanukovich plans to sign the document on December 17.

Peskov said earlier that the governments of both countries would meet on that date in Moscow to talk cooperation.

Russia has accused Ukraine of owing billions of dollars in unpaid natural gas bills, while Ukraine maintains that it is obliged to pay a higher price for the fuel than other European countries.

Street demonstrations erupted across Ukraine last month after the Cabinet backed off from signing landmark association agreements with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia. The Kremlin has been pushing Ukraine to abandon European integration and join a Moscow-led Customs Union.