Former Soviet Nations to Seal European Ties - Bloomberg

Former Soviet Nations to Seal European Ties - Bloomberg:



"Ukraine will be joined by fellow ex-Soviet republics Georgia and Moldova in tying their future to the European Union, risking a widening rift with Russia that threatens to hit their economies.



The three countries will today sign free-trade agreements with the 28-nation bloc and Georgia and Moldova will also sign association agreements. Ukraine inked that accord in March after the Kremlin’s opposition helped derail a previous attempt last November, sparking protests that turned deadly and lead to the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych three months later.



Former Soviet countries are deciding on political and economic alliances as the crisis in Ukraine reverberates in the region. While Belarus and Kazakhstan last month joined Russia to form the Eurasian Union, the three countries signing deals in Brussels are anchoring themselves with the EU. They may face economic measures from their former Soviet partner, which has protested being left out of the negotiations."



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