EU invites Russia to talks on Ukraine trade deal

The European Union (EU) has invited Russia to discussions about the bloc’s plan to sign a trade agreement with Ukraine later this month.

In a phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the EU is willing to include Moscow in the talks over the Association Agreement – which sparked a major crisis in Ukraine – the bloc said in a statement.

The ditching of the Association Agreement by former Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych in favor of closer ties with Russia in November last year sparked massive protests in Kiev which led to the president’s ouster.

The statement said Barroso and Putin discussed the upcoming signature of the trade deal and a free trade pact, called the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), with Ukraine on June, 27.

“As a way to dispel any concerns, President Barroso offered President Putin the possibility to pursue the ongoing bilateral talks with Russia at technical level as well as to hold political level consultations, associating Ukraine,” it said, adding that Putin had agreed.

The European Commission’s statement also said Barroso had urged Moscow to help calm the crisis in Ukraine.

Barroso’s call came a day after Russia said it will submit a draft resolution to the UN Security Council after the Kiev government’s measures to defuse crisis in eastern Ukraine and restore calm proved fruitless.

The Ukrainian army launched military operations in the eastern and southeastern regions in mid-April in a bid to root out pro-Russia protests there. The government in Kiev says it is targeting armed protesters, but many civilians have been caught in the shelling that has been going on for days.