KIEV, Ukraine, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Ukrainian national interests are being violated by the European energy community, the Ukrainian president said after talks in Kiev.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych met with EU leaders to discuss closer bilateral ties.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said European officials wanted Kiev to move closer to the European Union.
"At the same time, the values that underpin our relationship need to be fully observed at all times," he said.
European leaders say they are frustrated with Ukrainian officials over the seven-year prison sentence given to opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. She was found guilty of abusing her authority when she helped broker a gas deal with Russia's Gazprom in 2009.
Yanukovych expressed frustration that Europe wasn't doing enough to discourage development of Gazprom's plans for the South Stream natural gas pipeline.
"Regarding relations with the (European) energy community, we have accepted the conditions set by this community," he was quoted by the Ukrainian News Agency as saying. "But, unfortunately, the interests of Ukraine are being violated by the energy community."
South Stream is one of Russia's options to diversify its transit network to Europe. Currently, 80 percent of Russia's gas for Europe heads through Ukrainian pipelines.
