You're reading: The Independent: Moscow hopes EU criticism will push Ukraine back into its orbit

Russia is hoping that anger at Ukraine in European capitals will push the country back into Moscow’s orbit, and is pressuring Kyiv to sign up to a Moscow-led customs union as an alternative to closer integration with the EU.

European leaders told Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych at the weekend that he can forget about his goal of increased cooperation with the EU while former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko remains in jail.

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