Ukraine hopes reforms bring EU membership ‘in six years’

Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko said he would present a broad plan of social and economic reforms later today which would allow the former Soviet republic to apply for membership of the European Union in six years.

The Ukrainian parliament ratified a landmark association agreement with the EU on September 16th, though implementation of the trade part of the agreement has been delayed until January 2016 to appease Russia, which says the pact will hurt its markets.

Mr Poroshenko, speaking to the country's judiciary, also said that for the first time in many months no deaths or wounded had been reported in the past 24 hours in the conflict with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, indicating that a ceasefire "has finally begun working".

Last night, Ukraine's prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk urged the world not to lift sanctions against Russia until his country regains control over its entire territory, including Crimea.

Ending a day of intense discussions over the growing global threat of extremist groups, Mr Yatsenyuk told the United Nations General Assembly of world leaders that "we know what terrorism means".

He demanded that Russia pull back its forces from eastern Ukraine, “stop the supply of Russian-led terrorists” and start “real talks, peace talks”.

Mr Yatsenyuk’s comments on sanctions revealed concerns about US president Barack Obama’s earlier address to the world meeting. If Russia follows through on a cease-fire signed this month with Ukraine, the US will lift economic sanctions that have damaged Russia’s economy, Mr Obama said.

He said the agreement "offers an opening" for peace. The US and EU have imposed multiple rounds of economic sanctions targeting Russia's energy, defence and financial sectors, as well as penalties on government officials and other individuals close to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

So far, however, the sanctions have done little to shift Mr Putin’s approach to the crisis and the recent ceasefire has been violated repeatedly.

Agencies