Russia is dangling billion-dollar benefits if Ukraine joins a Moscow trade alliance, a move that would scuttle Kiev's chance at an EU free-trade deal. A year after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich began reversing his country's pro-Western tilt to realign with Russia, Mr. Yanukovich appears to have taken a strong stand against Moscow. Even though Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived in Kiev Tuesday with up to $9 billion in annual benefits for Ukraine's troubled economy in return for joining a Moscow-led customs union, which already includes Belarus and Kazakhstan, Yanukovich reportedly rebuffed him. Read the story here.
Christian Science Monitor: Ukraine struggles to balance lure of Europe, pull of Russia
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, left, and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin shake hands during their meeting in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 12, 2011.
