Putin: Ukraine Joining European Trade Zone Unrealistic

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said it was difficult to imagine how Ukraine could join the European trade zone, which is now facing multiple problems, including a debt crisis and struggles to maintain a single currency policy, Interfax reported September 16.

“We have just talked about the EU zone problems. I have a hard time imagining that Ukraine would join the EU trade zone under these circumstances. This is absolutely unrealistic,” Putin said at the Investment Forum-2011 in Sochi, noting Ukraine’s refusal to join the Customs Union with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

According to Putin, membership in the Customs Union would be much more beneficial for Kiev than following its EU integration policy, however, “Moscow does not intend to put pressure on Ukraine on the issue of joining the Customs Union,” Putin said.