STRASBOURG -- Representatives of the European Parliament and the European Council have signed a document in Strasbourg formalizing a long-awaited visa-liberalization deal with Ukraine.

The deal was signed by the president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, and Malta's Interior Minister Carmelo Abela. Malta currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who was present at the ceremony, said the signing of the agreement represents a landmark in Ukraine's history.

"It is an absolutely historic day for Ukraine, for my 45 million nation, and I am absolutely confident that this is a historic day for the European Union," Poroshenko said after the signing.

"Ukraine returns to the European family. Ukraine says a final farewell to the Soviet and Russian Empire," he said.

Tajani said the visa liberalization was a "good message" to "very pro-European" Ukraine.

"The new rules on visa liberalization are the beginning of a new era," Tajani said.

EU member states gave their approval on May 11, and the visa-free regime is due to enter into force on June 11.

Ukrainian citizens who have biometric passports will be able to enter all EU member states other than Ireland and the United Kingdom without a visa for up to 90 days during any 180-day period. It also applies to four Schengen Area countries that are not in the EU: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

Poroshenko's predecessor, Viktor Yanukovych, was pushed from power in 2014 by massive pro-European protests after he scrapped plans for a deal to tighten ties with the EU. Russia then seized control of Ukraine's Crimea region and fomented separatism in eastern Ukraine, where a war between Russia-backed forces and the government has killed more than 9,900 people.

Much of present-day Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire beginning in the 17th century, and Ukraine was under Moscow's thumb as a Soviet republic for most of the 20th century. It gained independence in the Soviet collapse of 1991.

Visa-free EU travel began on March 28 for citizens of Georgia, another former Soviet republic that is under pressure from Russia.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Marek Hajduk in Strasbourg and Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels</s>BRUSSELS -- Representatives of the European Parliament and the European Council are due to sign a document in Strasbourg formalizing a long-awaited visa-liberalization deal with Ukraine.

After the signing on May 17, the visa-free regime is due to enter into force on June 11.

Ukrainian citizens who have biometric passports will be able to enter all EU member states apart from Ireland and the United Kingdom without a visa for up to 90 days during any 180-day period. It also applies to four Schengen-Area countries that are not in the EU: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

After EU member states gave their approval on May 11, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said his country had "finalized its divorce from the Russian Empire."

Poroshenko's predecessor, Viktor Yanukovych, was pushed from power in 2014 by massive pro-European protests after he scrapped plans for a deal to tighten ties with the EU.

Russia then seized control of Ukraine's Crimea region and fomented separatism in eastern Ukraine, where a war between Russia-backed forces and the government has killed more than 9,900 people.

Visa-free EU travel began on March 28 for citizens of Georgia, another former Soviet republic that is under pressure from Russia.</s>BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The signed document is expected to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and after 20 days following the publication, the Ukrainians would be able to visit the 28-nation bloc without visas.

"My congratulations to every Ukrainian! Visa-free regime for Ukraine has been officially signed in the European Parliament," Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said on his Twitter account after the signing ceremony.

In April, the European Parliament approved the introduction of the visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens for short-term travels to the EU member states. The visa-free entrance for Ukrainians would be available to all EU countries, except for Ireland, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Ukraine has been striving for integration with the European Union for years. The two sides launched a dialogue on liberalization of the visa regime in 2008 and the bloc proposed Ukraine a road map concerning the issue in 2010.</s>"Ukraine returns to the European family. Ukraine says a final farewell to the Soviet and Russian Empire," he added.

A video of Poroshenko rejoicing at the signing of the visa-free document quickly went viral on the internet.

The agreement, expected to take effect on June 11, was signed by the president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, and Malta's Interior Minister Carmelo Abela, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

In an interview with Radio Sputnik, Eduard Popov, a senior expert at the Institute of Russia Abroad, said that many Ukrainians would use their newly granted visa-free status to find a job in Europe, thus depriving their economically strapped country of “the youngest and most able-bodied workforce.”

He added that this new status would benefit President Poroshenko more than it would the Ukrainian people.

“Poroshenko came to power on a promise to bring Ukraine into the European Union and do it fast. The fact is, that Ukraine will hardly be able to join the EU, at least before this century is out, but he needs this visa-free deal to make people believe that Ukraine is now part of the EU. The truth is, however, that it is Ukrainians as servants the EU needs most, not Ukraine as a country,” Popov noted.

With the visa regime now gone, Ukrainian citizens who have biometric passports will be able to enter the Schengen Area countries other than Britain and Ireland without a visa for a period of up to 90 days during any 180-day period.

When entering the EU, Ukrainians will also have to produce a return ticket, proof of a hotel reservation, an invitation from relatives residing in the EU, medical insurance and have at least 45 euros for each day they plan to spend in the EU.

Moreover, the European Commission and EU states reserve the right to reinstate visa requirements in the event of any security concerns and if Ukraine fails to cooperate in taking back illegal migrants.

Never miss a story again — sign up to our Telegram channel and we'll keep you up to speed!</s>President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko sings a legislative act on granting a visa-free regime to Ukraine (European Parliament, Strasbourg).

“In Strasbourg, on May 17 – as we agreed with our European friends – the relevant legislative act will be solemnly signed. This will probably be one of my most important visits during three years of my presidency,” the president’s statement on the occasion of of granting a visa-free regime to Ukraine.</s>Wary of immigration after an uncontrolled influx of more than a million refugees and migrants from the Middle East and Africa last year, EU has made relaxing travel rules for any new countries conditional on first agreeing the snap-back mechanism.

But internal EU talks on it stalled for many weeks, delaying agreement on visa waivers for the two former Soviet republics and raising criticism that the bloc was reneging on pledges to help them as they try to move away from Moscow's orbit.

The agreement paved the way for visa waivers for first Georgia and then Ukraine. Both are still at least a few weeks away but should not be derailed now.

"Almost there. Visa suspension mechanism dispute over. Now the final stretch towards visa free travel for Ukraine and Georgia," said European Council President Donald Tusk.

The prospect of easier travel to Europe has been used by the pro-Western governments in Kiev and Tbilisi to win popular backing for painful EU-sponsored reforms.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko hailed "encouraging news from Brussels" and Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze said: "Georgia is Europe and it will become more and more tangible for our people."

Georgia, with only 3.7 million citizens, is an easier case for the EU but has been held hostage by the greater hesitation over Ukraine, which has 45 million people, is geographically closer and is stuck in a conflict with Russia.

Under Thursday's deal, the European Commission or a majority of EU states will be able to swiftly suspend any country's visa exemption for nine months if its citizens suddenly start making many more asylum requests, stay in the bloc for longer than allowed or cause a "substantial increase in the risk to public policy or internal security."

If the problem persists, the bloc would be able to extend the suspension for another 18 months in a more complex procedure that would also give the European Parliament a say.

Related talks on a visa waiver for Turkey, a mostly Muslim country of 79 million people, have stalled now as ties between the bloc and Ankara soured in the aftermath of a botched military coup in the latter in July.</s>“Six months or one year later, a huge number of Ukrainians will come to the EU countries. They will strive for the states with lax control systems, like Spain, Portugal, Italy,” the expert said.

According to Ben, the majority of Ukrainians will go to Europe not on tourist trips, but rather to find a job, including on illegal labor markets.

“They will try to settle down, working here and there. This is much more promising than being unemployed in Ukraine. It is clear that many of the newcomers will be ready to take up any jobs, including on illegal labor markets,” the expert noted.

In his opinion, the influx of Ukrainian migrants might become another burden for the EU.

“The inflow can go out of control, and it can happen quiet quickly if the political crisis in Ukraine takes a new dimension. And in this case, of course, the EU, tired of Ukrainian migrants, will have to take some measures and might abandon the visa-free regime,” the expert concluded.

On Wednesday, President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and Malta’s Interior Minister Carmelo Abela, presiding at the Council of the European Union, signed a document on amending the bloc’s legislation to grant a visa-free regime for Ukrainians, as broadcast from Strasbourg.

The signed document will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and after 20 days following the publication, Ukrainians should be able to visit the 28-nation bloc without visas.

Ukraine has been striving for integration with the European Union for years. The two sides launched a dialogue on the liberalization of the visa regime in 2008 and the bloc provided Ukraine with a road map concerning the issue in 2010.

At the same time, German authorities noted that “the country is not a candidate for EU membership” and that Ukraine’s sanctions against Russian media outlets are not in line with European values.

According to Russian expert Dmitry Zhuravlev, these words clearly define Ukraine’s place among European countries.

“On the one hand, they [German politicians] in this way reduce demands and claims to Ukraine, stressing that the country is not even a candidate for EU membership yet. On the other hand, they clearly define Ukraine’s place: the main thesis is — better give up your hopes for it [EU membership]. But in general, I don’t think that there will be any, for example, economic pressure on Ukraine, because after the introduction of a visa-free regime, any economic pressure will mean that more and more Ukrainian citizens will move to Europe,” Zhuravlev told Radio Sputnik.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko approved the decision of the NSDC to expand the list of sanctioned Russian individuals and legal entities. The expanded list includes 1,228 individuals and 468 legal entities. In particular, Ukraine imposed sanctions on a number of Russian media outlets and social media, as well as IT companies.. The decree took effect Wednesday, May 17.</s>The European Union had been wary about offering Kosovo a visa-free regime after large numbers of Kosovars sought asylum in the bloc in 2014 and 2015. But Kosovo has improved border controls, introduced biometric passports and agreed to the return of citizens not entitled to asylum in the EU.

Citizens of other Balkan countries - Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia - have been able to travel without a visa in the Schengen zone since 2010. Turkey, Ukraine and Georgia are awaiting the green light for visa-free travel.

"Kosovo has made great progress," Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told reporters on Wednesday, adding that he hoped national governments and the European Parliament would approve the proposal quickly.

Under the proposal, Kosovars with biometric passports would be able to enter the Schengen zone without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. The zone includes 22 of the 28 EU member states and several non-EU nations including Switzerland and Norway.

Kosovo, which has a population of 1.8 million, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is still not recognised by Belgrade. It has signed a trade and political pact with the EU but is still not recognised by five member states: Spain, Cyprus, Romania, Greece and Slovakia.

The EU Commission's visa proposal was welcomed in Kosovo, where President Hashim Thaci posted a banner with the Kosovo flag on his Facebook page that read: "Goodbye Visa!"

"After decades of isolation there will be no more queues, no more rejections. When we work together there is no border that stops us," Thaci said.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will meet the leaders of Kosovo and address its parliament on Thursday, the Commission said in a statement.</s>Dec 8 The European Union will soon let Ukrainians and Georgians visit the bloc without needing a visa after officials said a deal had been struck on Thursday to end an internal EU dispute that had been holding up the promised measures.

Late-night talks involving EU member states and the European Parliament had reached a compromise on the terms of a mechanism that can be used to suspend the visa-free schemes in emergencies.

The two former Soviet republics are seeking to move further away from their former master Moscow and closer to the West but have grown frustrated that the EU was failing to deliver. After last year's migration crisis, EU governments had grown nervous of popular reaction against a move to make visits easier for 45 million Ukrainians, as well as 5 million Georgians. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)</s>* Kiev jittery about waning support in stand-off with Russia

KIEV, Dec 6 Ukraine feels let down by the European Union for not keeping to a promise to give its citizens visa-free travel in the bloc, senior Ukrainian officials said.

The comments, made by two senior officials in interviews with Reuters, were unusually outspoken and cut through the public displays of bonhomie shown at a Ukraine-EU summit in Brussels in November.

They are also a reflection of Ukraine's nervousness about being abandoned by Western backers in its stand-off with Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea and Moscow's support for separatist rebels in the Donbass region.

These worries have been heightened by events seen as playing into the Kremlin's hands, including the election of Donald Trump and the prospect of Francois Fillon, who favours thawing ties with the Kremlin, taking the French presidency next year.

Ukraine was promised visa liberalisation if it met a number of conditions, including steps to tackle corruption. But visa liberalisation has not materialised yet as the EU wants to put an emergency suspension mechanism in place first.

The mechanism would make it easier to suspend any visa-waivers if the bloc sees a sharp rise in overstays, asylum requests or readmission refusals from a non-EU state that has had travel rules relaxed.

"While of course the Ukrainian president and his delegation tried to keep optimism publicly, I understand very well if they return to Kiev somewhat disappointed," Anders Fogh Rasmussen, an adviser to Ukraine's president, said.

"I would even use a stronger word. I think it's a kind of betrayal from the EU side, taking into account that Ukraine has carefully fulfilled all necessary criteria for visa liberalisation," the former NATO chief said.

European Council President Donald Tusk, who spoke Ukrainian and exchanged jokes with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko at a joint news conference at the Nov. 24 summit, said he hoped the visa-free regime would be in place by the end of the year.

But Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal said the Europeans had shown little desire to implement visa-free access.

"Only constant pressure and the constant raising of this issue may force them to move forward," she said in an interview at her office. "Maybe this is not diplomatic, this is probably not diplomatic: we see complete impotence in the European Union, and in the European institutions."

Giving an example of the prevailing attitudes, she recounted an incident when, weeks before the summit, the Ukrainians were told by the French and Germans not to expect a positive decision.

"When I asked if they believe that it is unfair, that we in many areas are discriminated against compared to others, the German ambassador in Brussels told me 'life is not fair and you should cope with this'," she said.

EU officials publicly say Ukraine and fellow aspirant Georgia have qualified for visa liberalisation, but behind the scenes Germany, France, Belgium and Italy appear to be stalling.

"The EU understands that, in the eyes of Ukraine, the visa-free regime is a question of the EU's reputation," said a European diplomat, who declined to be identified. "The EU will try to do our best to provide the visa-free regime to Ukraine based on the understanding of these risks," he said.

"Not everything in Brussels revolves around Ukraine."

Representatives of EU states will discuss the issue again in Brussels on Wednesday.

Hugues Mingarelli, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said Ukraine would be granted a visa-free regime as soon as the emergency suspension mechanism was agreed.

"We all hope that this will happen in the next few weeks. I cannot say anything more precise," he told a local news agency in an interview published on Tuesday.

The EU and the United States propped up Ukraine with money and diplomatic support after the country plunged into turmoil in 2014 and a new, Western-backed leadership took charge.

But since then, Ukraine's international supporters have become increasingly irked by what they see as Kiev's patchy progress in tackling corruption and modernising the economy. Some EU member states want sanctions on Russia lifted.

Ukraine, in turn, has its own grievances. Kiev has bristled at signs of a European rapprochement with Russia.

It also resents being told to do more to uphold its side of the Minsk peace process, brokered between Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine, to end the separatist violence in eastern Ukraine, saying the onus is on Russia as the "aggressor" nation.

The Maidan street protests in 2013/2014 were sparked by Ukraine's Kremlin-backed leader reneging on a plan to sign a political and trade agreement with the EU. But the fate of that deal, which was later signed, is now uncertain after Dutch voters rejected it in a referendum in April.

"I think that there are many things that can be considered as a betrayal," Zerkal said, when asked if the visa issue constituted a betrayal.

"The decision on Opal was also a betrayal of Ukraine," she said, referring to the European Commission allowing Russia's Gazprom to use the Opal pipeline in Germany, opening the way to bypass Ukraine as a gas transit route. (Additional reporting by Margaryta Chornokondratenko in KIEV and Gabriela Baczynska in BRUSSELS, editing by Peter Millership)
Representatives of the European Parliament and European Council sign a document formally granting Ukrainians visa-free travel to the European Union. The visa-free regime is due to enter into force on June 11.