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EU foreign ministers, divided over further expansion of the bloc, failed to agree at a meeting today on a French plan for future relations with Ukraine.
Divisions emerged between members such as Sweden and Poland which want Ukraine to join the European Union, and those like Belgium and the Netherlands which are cautious about expansion.
The 27-nation bloc wants to cement ties with Ukraine at a September 9th summit, but internal divisions, together with doubts about Ukraine's political stability, make it uncertain how close a relationship Brussels is prepared to offer.
"We still need to see more stability," EU External Relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told reporters. "It is true a lot of reforms have taken place but not all of them."
Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko, swept to power by the 2004 "Orange Revolution" and keen to join Western blocs like the EU and NATO, said yesterday it was "very important for Ukraine to know its port of destination in this matter" of EU membership.
France, current holder of the EU presidency, proposed that a pact under negotiation on closer ties with Ukraine be called an "Association Agreement", a type of accord the EU can -- but does not necessarily -- see as preparing a country for membership.
An EU official said there was relatively wide support for the proposal but added: "Some think this should be judged in the end, when we know what the substance is, and the negotiations will not be concluded for some months."
Members were also split over whether the summit declaration should state clearly that Ukraine is a European country.
"Everybody agrees that geographically Ukraine is a European country. The problem is that in EU terms this has legal implications," the official said. All European countries have the right to apply for EU membership.
France, Britain, Italy and Spain favour offering Ukraine closer ties, including talks on easing visa rules, and sending positive signals to Kiev without explicitly offering it the prospect of membership.
"The outcome will respect the balance ... not everyone wants the same thing but there will be a balance," the EU official said. "But I think there is a broad consensus that you could say more positive things at the summit without creating any new obligations or commitments."
Mr Yushchenko came to power through street protests against election fraud and immediately began drafting a series of "road maps" to secure membership of Western organisations and move out of the shadow of Russia.
But his administration was beset by quarrels, an "orange" government collapsed within months and ambitions were scaled down. An "orange" cabinet has since been restored, but Yushchenko remains at odds with prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.
