Historic Ukraine-EU agreement will benefit Russia, says Poroshenko

KIEV, Ukraine, June 27 (UPI) -- Ukraine's new Association Agreement with the European Union should be welcomed by Russia, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Friday.

"This agreement does not pose any threats to any countries. We now have enough convincing arguments for that. And we are interested in open dialogue with all interested parties," Poroshenko said after the signing in Brussels.

Russia, he said, should be particularly interested in the agreement "because Ukraine can be a bridge enabling Russian commodities to enter European markets."

Ukraine's new trade agreement with the EU comes seven months after former President Viktor Yanukovych shunned a deal with the regional bloc in favor of working closely with Russia, a move that led to widespread protests across the country and his eventual ouster.