Andrei Klimov, deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, spoke about what would happen if Kiev signs an association agreement with the European Union.
"It is just what the Maidan wanted, to sign an association agreement with the EU. They never hid it, and they went to Brussels, and puppeteers from there came to Ukraine as well. And we say, "It is your choice, dear friends! You just have to understand that when you make this choice, it will have both benefits and disadvantages for you." I do not see a lot of benefits. As for the disadvantages, choosing a team for further development, they need to understand that this kind of team, unlike the CIS countries, the members of the Customs Union, are a new format for them. This countries of the western integration community are quite cynical and rule, first of all, not in the interests of all members equally, and it's obvious, if you take a little closer look," Mr Klimov said.According to him, "every state should understand that if they do not want to be neutral, like Switzerland, for instance, if they want to play a role in someone's team, then the forces that are outside of this team will consider it exactly the way it is. This is not a threat, it's just an honest, comradely clarifying of the reality that exists in the world and which has never been cancelled. ""Of course we will continue our relations with Ukraine, no matter what agreements and with whom they sign," promises Mr Klimov. "But such relations will be built taking into account the fact of their signing the agreement with the EU. I've read this agreement, unlike them I read the comments on it that were made for the European Parliament by European commissioners. They are invited to join an Economic Alliance, which does not allow the same amount of relations with the Russian Federation and the Customs Union. The possibility of such a deep integration process is excluded. And I'm not sure if they will help the EU. Ukraine is a huge country by European standards. It is larger than Belgium, Greece, Portugal. These countries are not ready to give billions to pick up such a huge country and get it going. Because to modernize Ukraine and make it competitive within the alliance of European states, 100-120 billion are needed. No one will give them so much money, no one is inviting Ukraine to join the European Union. They are offered to live near the front door and never leave the doorstep. Sooner or later it will be felt in Kiev, but it will be to late. We are moving forward in the process of Eurasian integration. I'll be sorry for them if they make such a choice, but it's up to them. And we, like any normal country, will take their choice into account and build our policies towards them taking into consideration all the new circumstances."
"It is just what the Maidan wanted, to sign an association agreement with the EU. They never hid it, and they went to Brussels, and puppeteers from there came to Ukraine as well. And we say, "It is your choice, dear friends! You just have to understand that when you make this choice, it will have both benefits and disadvantages for you." I do not see a lot of benefits. As for the disadvantages, choosing a team for further development, they need to understand that this kind of team, unlike the CIS countries, the members of the Customs Union, are a new format for them. This countries of the western integration community are quite cynical and rule, first of all, not in the interests of all members equally, and it's obvious, if you take a little closer look," Mr Klimov said.
According to him, "every state should understand that if they do not want to be neutral, like Switzerland, for instance, if they want to play a role in someone's team, then the forces that are outside of this team will consider it exactly the way it is. This is not a threat, it's just an honest, comradely clarifying of the reality that exists in the world and which has never been cancelled. "
"Of course we will continue our relations with Ukraine, no matter what agreements and with whom they sign," promises Mr Klimov. "But such relations will be built taking into account the fact of their signing the agreement with the EU. I've read this agreement, unlike them I read the comments on it that were made for the European Parliament by European commissioners. They are invited to join an Economic Alliance, which does not allow the same amount of relations with the Russian Federation and the Customs Union. The possibility of such a deep integration process is excluded. And I'm not sure if they will help the EU. Ukraine is a huge country by European standards. It is larger than Belgium, Greece, Portugal. These countries are not ready to give billions to pick up such a huge country and get it going. Because to modernize Ukraine and make it competitive within the alliance of European states, 100-120 billion are needed. No one will give them so much money, no one is inviting Ukraine to join the European Union. They are offered to live near the front door and never leave the doorstep. Sooner or later it will be felt in Kiev, but it will be to late. We are moving forward in the process of Eurasian integration. I'll be sorry for them if they make such a choice, but it's up to them. And we, like any normal country, will take their choice into account and build our policies towards them taking into consideration all the new circumstances."
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