Strasbourg, 05/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - Following a meeting with High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton on 5 February, Vitali Klitschko - one of the leaders of the Ukrainian opposition - said the EU would be ready to send mediators to monitor the dialogue between the government and the opposition. Ashton “gave assurances that Europe was ready to delegate high level mediators for the negotiations between the opposition and the government”, said Klitchko through his Udar party's press department. Until now the EU said it was in a position to facilitate the dialogue but not to mediate. In Klitschko's view, “someone must see how the negotiation process is conducted, and fix all the agreements and commitments”. Ashton met the three leaders of the opposition - Klitschko, Arseni Iatseniuk and Oleg Tiagnybok - over dinner on 4 February.
Questioned by EUROPE, Ashton's spokesperson only said that the EU supports a political solution and is looking at how it can support Ukraine along this way. The spokesperson stated that the EU is ready for this type of role if this is asked of it and necessary. While the opposition seems in favour, Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych must also give his agreement. Ashton met Yanukovych in the late morning on 5 February in order to discuss a “wider image” than this issue of mediation.
At the time EUROPE was going to press, Ashton was due to talk to press before she left Ukraine for Brussels.
Meanwhile, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle announced during a plenary debate at the European Parliament (see other article) that he would visit Ukraine again next week.
Yanukovych will meet Russia's President Vladimir Putin on 7 February - on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics in Sochi - in order to discuss “bilateral links”. According to the head of Yanukovych's party at the Ukrainian Parliament, Yanukovych will not appoint a candidate to the post of prime minister before next week. He “could announce [the future prime minister] next week”. Ukraine's former prime minister, Mykola Azarvo, resigned on 28 January. (CG/transl.fl)