Derailing the Association with the EU (2013–2014)
Economic and political pressure by V. Putin on V. Yanukovych in the autumn of 2013 aimed at derailing the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU. The price was formalized publicly on December 17, 2013: "Ukraine will receive 15 billion dollars from Russia and gas at a reduced price" - the gas price was lowered "to 268.5 dollars per thousand cubic meters" instead of the previous 410, and the money came "from the Russian National Welfare Fund" in exchange for Ukrainian government securities[1]. The refusal to sign the agreement triggered the protests: "between 21 November 2013 and 22 February 2014 large-scale street protests took place, provoked by the decision of then-President Viktor Yanukovych not to sign the association agreement with the European Union," and their suppression ended in shootings - on the Maidan "between January and February 2014 more than 100 people were killed, including by snipers"[2].
Actors
| ID | Name | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| G0011 | Russian Federation | 1 |
Instruments Applied
Procedures Carried Out
The use of economic blackmail and promises of a loan together with a gas discount to coerce V. Yanukovych into derailing the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU: on December 17, 2013, a reduction of the gas price "to 268.5 dollars per thousand cubic meters" (instead of 410) was announced, along with the fact that "Ukraine, under the bilateral agreements, will receive 15 billion dollars from the Russian National Welfare Fund, selling Moscow its government securities for that amount." Putin stressed: "We consider this a temporary solution, bearing in mind that long-term, long-lasting agreements must and will be reached"[1].