EU-Ukraine Summit

Kiev's goal is to become a fully-fledged member of the European Union. Before that can happen it must be named an official candidate nation.

But officially at least, the EU sees the country's political instability as a major sticking-point, as chief foreign policy envoy Javier Solana made evident in the run-up to the summit in Paris, its new location after a last minute change of plans on Monday.

"Bilateral relations between Ukraine and the EU are going in the right direction. The Ukrainian economy is developing well, there is growth, the inflation rate is gradually coming under control. But we also have our reservations as far as the political situation is concerned. This needs to stabilize. Parliamentary life has to normalize."

Last week saw the collapse of a shaky coalition between President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, reinforcing the EU's misgivings about the country's political situation. Member states also face waning public support for the expansion of the bloc.

Fear of antagonizing Russia

But Ukraine expert Amanda Akcakoca from the European Policy Centre, a Brussels think-tank, believes that concern about further straining ties with Russia is primarily staying the EU's hand.

"The EU can find a million pretexts, but I think the fear of Russia is the main reason. Giving Ukraine the prospect of joining the EU, bringing the country closer to the West, does not exactly endear it to Moscow. And that, of course, triggers certain qualms in some EU countries," she told DW-Radio.

At the summit, the EU side is likely to offer to conclude an "association agreement" with Ukraine. A draft declaration prepared by Brussels-based diplomats ahead of the EU-Ukraine summit says that this would leave open the possibility of further developments between the two sides.

The leaders are also set to announce the launch of a dialogue aimed at eventually achieving a visa-free regime between EU and Ukraine.

Tale of two camps

Up to now, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Nordic states, Britain and the Baltic states have been broadly positive about embracing Ukraine, while Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Austria have been reluctant to do so. One sensitive issue is migration. The Benelux countries and Spain are fearful of receiving higher numbers of Ukrainian workers. But worries about threatening energy supplies from Russia also play a role.

Tomas Valasek, from the London-based think-tank Centre for European Reform, told Reuters news agency that the European Union needed to send a clearer message to Ukraine. He described Ukraine as the EU's most important neighbor given its size, location and its power to influence other countries strategically important in terms of ensuring the security of the EU's future energy supplies.

"If it can successfully Europeanize ... it will clearly demonstrate to the Central Asian republics, to Azerbaijan and to Moldova and others that it's possible to be a former Soviet republic and a modern Western country," he said.

"It will show that there is nothing inevitable about former Soviet republics always being in the Russian orbit. That's why it's important for the EU to get it right."

Akcakoca, of the European Policy Center, also believes Ukrainian accession would be of benefit to the EU.

"It will improve security at the EU's external borders. Ukraine has a very dynamic economy, a modern army. Ukraine has already taken part in manoeuvres within the auspices of EU security and defense policy on a number of occasions. I think that up to now the EU has profited more from Ukraine than vice versa," she said.