New Ukraine leader iffy on EU accession

BRUSSELS, March 1 (UPI) -- New Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych met with the European Commission leader Monday but was non-committal about accession, the EU Observer reported.

Yanukovych met in Brussels with commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on his first state visit since being inaugurated in Kiev last week.

Barroso told Yanukovych his country has "a European future" but the Moscow-leaning president was cool about rushing his country into European Union membership, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency said.

"We will see when the time comes," he said. "Today we cannot stress the time frame."

Barroso said if Ukraine lives up to International Monetary Fund criteria on economic reform associated with a $16.4 billion loan, the commission will free up an extra $675 million in financial aid, the reports said.

At the end of the week, Yanukovych is scheduled for a Moscow visit, during which talks about Russia's natural gas supply deal will figure prominently, the Observer said.

His predecessor, Viktor Yushchenko, attempted to distance Ukraine from Russia and sought closer ties with Europe, the West and NATO involvement.