Russia offers a deal and keeps Ukraine out of the EU.

From Agência Brasil *

Brasilia - Russia has readjusted the price of gas it imports from Ukraine and has pledged to buy US$15 billion (approximately R$34,8 billion) in Ukrainian government bonds after a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Viktor Yanukovich. With this measure, signed by the leaders yesterday (17), Russia kept Ukraine under its sphere of power.

"We have gained a perspective on the future and a firm confidence that we will maintain social and economic stability. The agreements help us to adopt a social development budget. Before this [the agreement] it would have been absolutely impossible and a collapse threatened the country," said Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov.

For months, the Ukrainian government had been approaching the European Union (EU) in an attempt to reach some kind of agreement with the country's economy, which had signaled a possible accession to the European bloc through an association agreement. However, at the end of November, the Ukrainian government adopted a hesitant stance towards Europe after Russia requested a postponement of the agreement between its neighbor and the EU.

According to Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian parliament, yesterday's agreement showed "where Ukraine has friends – in the West or in the East," referring to the European Union and Russia, respectively. He stated that it is still too early to say whether Ukraine will abandon its association with the EU.

"The door is open for Ukraine. Unlike the Brussels bureaucracy [EU headquarters], which talks incessantly about an open-door partnership with the bloc, the customs union [Eurasian Union] will accept Ukraine without much ado," the parliamentarian said.

The Ukrainian opposition was not satisfied with the agreement signed between the countries and argues that the national interest was sold out by President Yanukovich. Two hours after the pact was signed, opposition leaders called for more than 50 people to protest against the rapprochement with Russia. The demonstrators are demanding the president's resignation.

Yesterday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said he did not believe the agreement with the Russian government would calm the protesters in the country. The United States favors closer ties between Ukraine and the European Union.

The Ukrainian crisis will be discussed this week at the European Council meeting of the European Union. Last Sunday (15), the EU decided to suspend negotiations with the country until the government demonstrated more commitment to reaching an agreement. With the agreements between Ukraine and Russia, a new dynamic should be adopted at the bloc's meeting.

The suspension of negotiations between the EU and Ukraine was announced on the same day that around 200 people gathered in protest. The population has been demonstrating in recent weeks against President Viktor Yanukovych, who postponed Ukraine's accession to the EU due to pressure from Russia.

* With information from Itar Tass and the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.