- Title: UKRAINE: Western protesters call for integration with EU
- Date: 25th November 2013
- Summary: LVIV, UKRAINE (NOVEMBER 25, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING IN RAIN AND SNOW PROTESTERS WAVING UKRAINIAN FLAGS PROTESTERS STANDING BEHIND BANNER VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING AND CHEERING, CHANTING IN UKRAINIAN, 'REVOLUTION' VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WITH EU FLAG STANDING ON MONUMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) LVIV STUDENT AND PROTESTER, ZORYANA YACHECHAK, SAYING: "We still hope that Ukraine will join the EU. We want to have open borders, join Europe, and to be real Europeans because we are such by our spirit and we are ready to stand for this." VARIOUS OF TENT WITH SIGN READING IN UKRAINIAN, 'VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION', PEOPLE REGISTERING (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) LVIV PHD STUDENT AND PROTESTER, NADIA LUSHCHAK, SAYING: "We are ready to stand till the association agreement is signed, and even better, until we send our president and government into resignation! I myself plan to go to Kiev on the 28th of November." RALLY IN PROGRESS BANNER READING IN UKRAINIAN 'FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION' VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS JUMPING AND DANCING
- Embargoed: 10th December 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ukraine
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA3I0HO2U5NVU6DDLYVS3UWV5ZO
- Story Text: Up to 5,000 demonstrators carrying pro-European integration banners marched and rallied in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Monday (November 25), angered at a government decision to drop plans for a landmark deal with the European Union and revive talks on ties with Russia.
The former Soviet republic abruptly spurned an historic new alliance with its western neighbours on Thursday (November 21), suspending an imminent trade pact with the European Union and saying it would revive talks on a deal instead with Russia.
Demonstrators in the Lviv's central square said they still had hope Ukraine would sign agreements with the EU this week.
"We still hope that Ukraine will join the EU. We want to have open borders, join Europe, and to be real Europeans because we are such by our spirit and we are ready to stand for this," said Lviv Student Zoryana Yachechak.
Protester and PhD student Nadia Lushchak said she hoped for more.
"We are ready to stand till the association agreement is signed, and even better, until we send our president and government into resignation! I myself plan to go to Kiev on the 28th of November," she said.
The European Union expressed strong disapproval on Monday over Russia's pressure on Ukraine to reject an EU trade deal, while police fired tear gas at pro-Europe protesters in the former Soviet republic's capital Kiev.
Unlike the end of last week, when the European Union appeared minded to quietly accept Ukraine's decision to back away, on Monday, the EU's two most senior officials, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, denounced Russia's actions and said the EU offer remained on the table. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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