Ukraine–European Union relations

Supporters of Ukraine's national football team have burned a Serbian flag during a friendly match played between the two countries.

Sputnik is reporting this citing local media.

Bulgaria will want guarantees for the abolition of Canadian visas in order to support the free-trade agreement between the EU and Canada, announced the government's press centre.

This position will be defended at the two-day meeting of the leaders of the EU which begins on Thursday.

The Netherlands has rejected the ratification of Ukraine's association agreement with EU in a referendum, marking a victory for eurosceptics.

The referendum was called after a group of Dutch eurosceptics collected more than 400,000 signatures on a petition calling for a public vote to take place.

Dutch voters have overwhelmingly rejected a Ukraine-European Union treaty on closer political and economic ties, in a rebuke to their government and to the European Union establishment.
 

Dmitry Medvedev says the Dutch rejection of the EU-Ukraine treaty on closer political and economic ties "shows Europe's attitude to Ukraine's political system."

The Russian prime minister's reaction on Twitter on Thursday came after Dutch voters overwhelmingly rejected the EU-Ukraine free trade agreement in what AFP said was "a blow to the European Union."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow will continue making efforts to resolve existing disputes in its trade relations with the European Union and Ukraine, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing Russian news agencies.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree imposing trade barriers on Ukraine in response to Kiev joining Western sanctions against Moscow.

Russia will introduce a food embargo against Ukraine next month over Kiev's trade deal with the EU, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Dec. 21, extending punitive measures already in place against Western countries.

"These measures will be extended to Ukraine too," Medvedev said at a government meeting. "I have just signed the relevant decree."  

The agreements reached at the recently held EU-Turkey summit will be implemented and not just "stay on paper," Turkish EU Minister Volkan Bozk?r has said.

"Measures will be taken so that the summit agreements do not stay on paper," Bozk?r told reporters in Ankara on Dec. 2, ahead of a working lunch with EU ambassadors in Brussels.

EU leaders struck a deal with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at the EU Council in Brussels on Sunday where Turkey will help stem the flow of migrants to Europe in return for cash, visas and renewed EU entry talks. Davutoglu called the deal that was hammered out by diplomats in the previous weeks a “new beginning”.