Lithuania: EU Compromise on Ukraine Pact Isn”t Right Step — Update

By Laurence Norman

NEW YORK–The European Union’s decision to give Ukraine more time to fully implement a trade pact to assuage
Russian pressure is a potentially dangerous step that leaves the gates open for Moscow to press for major changes to the
deal, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said Wednesday.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Linkevicius exposed what was until now private unease within the
bloc over the September 12 compromise. That deal saw the EU give Ukraine until the end of 2015 to implement key parts of
the bilateral trade and political pact. In return, Russia agreed not to retaliate against Kyiv for ratifying the
agreement.

Russia, which has fiercely opposed the EU-Ukraine pact, has since pressed further demands on Brussels and Kyiv,
including seeking changes to the substance of the accord. The EU has insisted it won’t make any changes to the agreement
text, which has already been signed and ratified by the two sides and a number of European capitals.

Mr. Linkevicius said his government, which is among the most critical of Russia within the 28-nation bloc, was
taken by surprise by the EU decision and learned about it from the press.

“It was I believe tactically and strategically not a very right step,” Mr. Linkevicius said. “Any concessions won’t
lead to concessions from the other side…It will lead to continuous pressure,” he said.

EU officials have said they offered the compromise to relieve pressure on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who
feared Russian trade–and possibly military–retaliation. The deal was struck as the Ukrainian leader was negotiating
with Moscow a broader cease fire to quell Kyiv’s fight with pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Mr., Linkevicius said he remains concerned the compromise would lead to “a review of the Association Agreement
substance because the gates are open for that now. I believe it should not be done.”

The trade pact has been a key part of EU policy toward Kyiv over the past couple of years. It was former Ukrainian
President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to walk away from the pact that sparked mass protests which eventually brought
him down. By ratifying the pact but delaying key parts of it, Mr. Poroshenko hoped to deepen EU ties without alienating
the Kremlin.

While EU disquiet emerges over the compromise, member states are starting to consider whether to roll back recent
sanctions against Russia because of the eastern Ukraine cease fire. Brussels has promised to review the situation by the
end of September.

Mr. Linkevicius said EU foreign ministers briefly discussed the situation at an informal meeting in New York on
Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. He made clear Lithuania thinks it is “too early” to
ease the pressure.

He also said he believes his colleagues will “most probably” seek more time to see what happens with the cease fire
before offering concessions to the Kremlin.

“My sense is we will find consensus on that because as far as I understand, all colleagues would like see some
changes on the ground–not just statements” by Russia.

Still, EU diplomats say some countries are eager to review the sanctions sooner rather than later.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, whose country holds
the rotating presidency of the bloc, said it was too early to make a decision but there were signs of real Russian
cooperation.

“For the first time in seven months, things are different,” he said of the cease fire. “I think in the last days,
objectively the situation changed.”

Write to Laurence Norman at laurence.norman@wsj.com 


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