Ukraine, European Union sign long-sought association pact

Donetsk: Ukraine’s parliament ratified an agreement to deepen economic and political ties with the European Union on Tuesday, and passed legislation to grant autonomy to the rebellious east as part of a peace deal. The ratification vote draws a line under the issue that last year sparked Ukraine’s crisis, which resulted in the ousting of the president, the annexation of Crimea by Russia and a war with the Russia-backed separatists that has killed more than 2,600 people. Earlier in the day, the parliament in closed session approved two bills on granting greater autonomy to the rebellious regions in the east as well as amnesty for most of those involved in the fighting. The bills are part of a tenuous peace process that saw a ceasefire called on September 5 but that has been repeatedly violated. [caption id=“attachment_1715297” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko shows a signed landmark association agreement with the European Union during a session of the parliament in Kiev. Reuters image[/caption] The city council in Donetsk says three people were killed in shelling overnight. The EU association agreement was long sought by Ukrainians who want their country to turn westward and out of Russia’s sphere of influence. After then-President Viktor Yanukovych shelved the deal last year, protests broke out that eventually spiraled into violence and led to Yanukovych fleeing the country. In the wake of that, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula and a pro-Russia rebellion broke out in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian forces in April launched a military operation to put down the rebellion, which it claims gets substantial support including troops and equipment from Russia. Just before the ratification vote, President Petro Poroshenko told the parliament that Ukrainians who died in the protests and in the eastern fighting “have died not only for their motherland. They gave up their lives for us to take a dignified place among the European family.” AP