10:19 05.04.2013

Events in Rada reduce Kyiv's chances to sign agreement with EU, says Pifer

2 min read
Events in Rada reduce Kyiv's chances to sign agreement with EU, says Pifer

The events that took place on April 4 taint the image of the Verkhovna Rada and Ukraine as a whole, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and now senior fellow of the Brookings Institution Steven Pifer said in an interview with the Voice of America.

"The fact that the parliament is not working brings discredit to it. Unfortunately, the image of the Verkhovna Rada in Europe and the United States is not very good: fighting, MPs who vote for a few ones, and now a split. The Rada does not give the impression of the state body which is trying to solve serious problems in the country," he said.

As a result, this could affect Ukraine's chances to sign an association agreement with the European Union and worsen relations with the United States.

"The work of the Verkhovna Rada does not correspond to the Europeans idea of the normal operation of a legislature. This strengthens the position of those who say that Ukraine is not ready for a deeper integration to Europe," said the politician.

President of the Freedom House David Kramer, who previously dealt with Ukrainian issues in the U.S. Department of State, in turn, believes that political events discredit Ukraine, which chairs at the OSCE, and could become a negative factor in its European integration intentions.

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