Speaking on Ukraine, EU Commissioner Says "Time is on Our Side'

Says the trade deal offered by the European Union to Ukraine still stands

(Reuters)—If there is a consistent message the European Union has tried to send since Ukraine rejected a trade deal last November in favor of stronger ties with Moscow, it is that it does not want to end up in a tug-of-war with Russia.

But whether the EU likes it or not, that is precisely what has come to pass and the future of Ukraine—its 46 million people and its faltering economy—hangs in the balance.

In a speech to a security conference in Munich last weekend, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy laid out the nature of the struggle in simple terms.