Not an engagement, but rumor

Vladimir Putin and Viktor Yanukovych at a meeting in Sochi did not discuss the possibility of Ukraine’s entry into the Customs Union, the press secretary of the head of the Russian state Dmitry Peskov said. The presidents of Russia and Ukraine discussed bilateral relations and preparations for the meeting of the Russian-Ukrainian intersocation in Moscow, as well as “considered the current state and prospects for bilateral cooperation in the financial and credit sphere”, quotes RIA Novosti. The press service of Yanukovych made a similar statement.

Earlier, the editor of The Economist, Edward Lucas, said on Twitter with reference to informed sources that on Friday Putin and Yanukovych agreed to join Ukraine into the Customs Union. According to Lucas, Russia will allocate at least $ 5 billion to Ukraine and will double the price of gas - to $ 200 per thousand cubic meters.

As of the end of November, Russia, according to the agreement of 2009, supplied gas to Ukraine at a price above $ 500.

One of the clauses of this agreement, clarifies Lucas, is Ukraine’s consent to join the Customs Union in the near future. The journalist assumes that we are talking about a term until 2015, when the authority of Viktor Yanukovych expire as president of Ukraine.

One of the leaders of the Ukrainian opposition Arseniy Yatsenyuk, commenting on the visit by Yanukovych to Sochi, said in an interview with Reuters that the signing by the President of Ukraine of any agreement related to the entry into the Customs Union will lead to new protests.

Yanukovych made a stop in Sochi on the way to Ukraine from China, where he was on an official visit. The conversation of Putin and Yanukovych lasted about six hours.

On November 21, Ukraine announced the suspension of the preparation process for the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU. Yanukovych said that the signing of such an agreement will turn into significant economic difficulties for Ukraine. In the capital of Ukraine and other cities of the country, mass performances of supporters of European integration began. The situation sharply aggravated after on November 30 a rally of supporters of European integration in Kyiv was dispersed by a special forces of the Berkut Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Based on the rejection of the Association with the EU and the force of the rally force in Kyiv, opposition factions in the Ukrainian parliament tried to resign the government led by Nikolai Azarov. However, the opposition could not gain the required number of votes to declare a vote of no confidence in the Cabinet of Ministers of Azarov.