DHAKA: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Friday signed a broad agreement of cooperation with the European Union, the same deal whose reversal set off a crisis in the nation.
The signing came hours before the President's office announced a three-day extension of a cease-fire. This is the latest step suggesting Ukraine may be moving back from the brink of full-fledged civil war -- though the situation remains volatile, with continued violence and the constant fear of yet more, cease-fire or not, reports CNN.
This tension has recent roots in then-President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to shun the EU Association Agreement last year and work with Russia instead. That move unleashed deadly strife that led to Yanukovych's ouster, the loss of Crimea and a pro-Russia separatist rebellion.
Sealing the deal may be the second-most important moment in Ukraine's history, Poroshenko said, after its independence from Russia.
He said the signing "shows how dramatically things can change in a short time, if the will of the people is strong enough."
And he paid tribute, on what he described as a "great day" in the nation's history, to Ukrainians who lost their lives when protests over closer ties with Europe turned bloody.
"The document we will sign today is not just political and economic, it is a symbol of faith and unbreakable will," he said.
"It is a tribute to people who gave their lives and health to make this moment happen, and it is the strongest reminder that today's Europe is and must be about people's determination to live in a better and safer world."
Poroshenko said that in signing the Association Agreement, he was making a unilateral statement that his country has underlined its choice of future membership in the EU.
And he signaled to Russia that its efforts to undermine the closer unification of Europe would fail in the face of Ukraine's determination to pursue its European dreams.
He used the same pen intended for use in November before Yanukovych turned his back on the agreement in favor of Moscow.
BDST: 1004 HRS, JUN 28, 2014
