You're reading: EP President: Relations between Kyiv and Brussels are difficult, but we want to keep Ukraine as close as possible

BRUSSELS - Brussels wants to keep Ukraine as close as possible to it, but fundamental European values have to be respected, President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz has said.

“We want to keep Ukraine as close as possible to us. But our
fundamental democratic standards must be respected,” he said in Brussels
on Wednesday during a live chat with Facebook users, when asked how he
would describe the relations with Ukraine and whether the Eastern
Partnership approach is effective for Ukraine.

While characterizing relations between Ukraine and the EU, Schulz described them as “very difficult.”

“Relations between the EU and Ukraine are very difficult. We hope
for, and we look for, during the next several weeks, free and fair
elections,” he said.