- Title: UKRAINE: Pro government supportrers stage counter rally in Kiev
- Date: 15th December 2013
- Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (DECEMBER 15, 2013) (REUTERS) POLICE TRUCKS AND VEHICLES CUTTING OFF ROAD TO SEPARATE PRO GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS FROM ANTI GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS RIOT POLICE PEOPLE GATHERED AROUND TENT AT EUROPEAN SQUARE WHERE PRO GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS ARE STAGING RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) ALEXANDER, PRO GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATOR, SAYING: "We came here to support our president, against the bunch of extremists attempting to seize power." VARIOUS OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS CHATTING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) VALENTINA, PRO GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATOR, SAYING: "My opinion is it is better be part of Europe and live like Germany in harmony with Russia, they do after all have a lot in common such as the gas pipeline, car industry and other sectors and Russia is after all Europe, they live well. This is better than doing what Georgia did, radical transition." VARIOUS OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS GATHERED AND CHEERING AT EUROPEAN SQUARE RALLY GOVERNEMNT SUPPORTER ADDRESSING PROTESTERS FROM STAGE VARIOUS OF RIOT POLICE ARRIVING
- Embargoed: 30th December 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ukraine
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA6270DJCMEWURUVOA1BEB5UA3W
- Story Text: A couple of thousand supporters of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich stage a counter rally at European Square, not far from where tens of thousands of anti-government protesters are holding a mass rally at Independence Square where demonstrations against the government's u-turn on signing an agreement with the EU are in their third week.
About two thousand government supporters gathered at European Square in Kiev on Sunday (December 15) to express their support for President Viktor Yanukovich who's government is facing a third week of demonstrations by detractors who are unhappy with his decision not sign an Association Agreement with the European Union after promising voters he would.
Police divided the counter rally from the epicentre of opposition protests at Independence Square blocking the road with vehicles as riot police kept watch.
Supporters of Yanukovich expressed their solidarity with their president's decision and supported closer ties with Russia.
Valentina said Russia was Europe and the quality of life there was good.
"My opinion is it is better be part of Europe and live like Germany in harmony with Russia, they do after all have a lot in common such as the gas pipeline, car industry and other sectors and Russia is after all Europe, they live well," she said.
Another Yanukovich supporter, Alexander, said he was there to show his support in the face of opposition protests he said were designed to overthrow him.
"We came here to support our president, against the bunch of extremists attempting to seize power," he said.
The European Union said on Sunday it was suspending further work with Ukraine on an ambitious trade and cooperation agreement because the government in Kiev had failed to give a clear commitment to signing the deal.
EU enlargement chief Stefan Fuele said on Twitter that the words and deeds of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich and his government on the proposed trade pact with the EU were "further and further apart. Their arguments have no grounds in reality."
Fuele said he had told Ukraine's first deputy prime minister Serhiy Arbuzov in Brussels last Thursday that further discussion on the trade agreement was conditional on a clear commitment by Kiev to sign it, but he had received no response.
As a result, work on the agreement was "on hold", he said.
Kiev had been expected to sign the agreement at a summit last month, but Yanukovich turned his back on the accord at the last minute in favour of closer ties with Moscow, leading to mass protests in Kiev.
The EU kept its offer on the table and Arbuzov said in Brussels last Thursday that Ukraine would sign the pact soon, but Brussels disputes Kiev's assertions that it needs 20 billion euros ($27 billion) of EU aid to offset the cost of adapting to the agreement. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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