BRUSSELS, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Ukraine's geopolitical future lies with decision makers in Kiev not at the European Union or in the Kremlin, a European lawmaker said.
Members of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee debated Ukrainian efforts to move closer to the European Union. A possible association agreement is considered for a November meeting expected in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Lawmakers said they were frustrated with Russia's exertion of economic pressure on the former Soviet republic. Russian authorities cited quality issues with a decision to block the import of some Ukrainian goods, though members of Parliament said the decision was likely politically motivated.
Members of the Ukrainian parliamentary opposition told European leaders their nation's future lay with the European Union. Committee members, however, said they supported association but the matter rests with Ukraine.
"The future of Ukraine, whether it chooses to ally with Russia or with the EU in its trade and political relations, should be decided in Kyiv, not Moscow or Brussels," German lawmaker and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Elmar Brok said in a statement Wednesday.
European lawmakers expressed support for eventual association but said they had considers about selective justice as it relates to detained opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her supporters. She was sentenced in 2011 to seven years in prison on charges she abused her power in a deal with Russian energy company Gazprom.
