Brussels, 26/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - Speaking on 25 November, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych gave the reasons for his decision to suspend preparations for the signing of the association agreement. “As a father who cannot leave his family without bread, I cannot leave people to their fate with problems that can emerge if, under pressure we feel, production is terminated and millions of citizens are thrown into the street”, he explained, going on to add: “I would have been dishonest and unfair if I had not taken care of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable who are the first to suffer from the burden of the transition period. To put it mildly, I would have been wrong if I had not done everything necessary for people not to lose their jobs, receive salaries, pensions and scholarships”. Yanukovych nonetheless underlined that “there is no other option than to build a society of European standards in Ukraine”. He said that the reforms set in place “prove that we are moving the European way”. “Nobody will steal our dream about Ukraine”, he went on to conclude. (CG/transl.jl)