The European Union launched free-trade talks with Ukraine in Kiev on Monday, less than two weeks after Ukraine’s acceptance into the World Trade Organization.

The Xinhua news agency reports:

The talks, formally launched by EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushenko in Kiev, followed the finalization of Ukraine’s accession to the World Trade Organization (wto) earlier this month, which was a prerequisite for the free-trade negotiations.”It’s a sign of the EU’s commitment to Ukraine that the ink is hardly dry on its wto accession agreement and we are here in Kiev to build on that membership with a new stage in our economic relations,” said Mandelson.Mandelson said the free-trade talks would not only boost trade and investment between the EU and Ukraine, but also integrate Ukraine into the global economy and deepen partnership between Kiev and Brussels.

With Romania and the Baltic states now EU members, and with Belarus within the Russian sphere of influence, Ukraine is the last major country lying between Russia and Europe that is not firmly in either camp. By initiating free-trade talks with Ukraine less than two weeks after Kiev joined the wto, Europe has shown its eagerness to pull the Ukraine completely away from Russia and into the EU.

Russia has used nuclear threats, energy politics, and political manipulation to try to keep Ukraine away from the EU and nato. A clash of interests between Europe and Russia is developing over this country. As events surrounding Ukraine unfold, watch to see exactly where the dividing line between the imperialist EU and the reviving Russian power will be drawn.

For more information on the EU’s eastward expansion, read “Black Sea—New EU Frontier?”