Ukraine is faced with significant economic problems as well as a deeply divided society. Although many in Ukraine support closer ties with the EU, Russian speakers in the east distrust the new provisional government in Kiev. The Crimea has called for independence and replaced local authorities with pro-Russia supporters, while Russia has been accused of sending in troops to secure key strategic positions.
The EU has pledged more than €11 billion in financial aid to help the transition and also supports efforts to find peaceful solutions in order to remove the military threat from Russia and keep Ukraine together as one country.
REF. : 20140306STO37727
