as association agreements including free trade agreements between european union and partners like moldova georgia or ukraine or forty compatible with russia's existing trait arrangements we he's countries to trade agreements can't interact constructively with the customs union as long as w t o rules are applied and free decision making is guaranteed and we expect that is sessions with moldova and georgia have made vinnie use would be confirmed with a signature of these agreements by early alton at the latest european union is closely following the developments in ukraine and strongly condemns firelands we call for restraint and those responsible have to be held to account we want a fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of expression and assembly preserved. the present stalemate must be rapidly overcome through a genuine dialogue between the authorities the opposition and civil society ukrainian authorities have a special responsibility in these it is crucial to find a way forward they need to rest of ukraine and people are hired to present at the food would be traveling to kiev in a fe

nice map showing latvia estonia lithuania poland and then in the same color ukraine also possibly moldova door dromio saying this will give europe it's new sphere further east and making the point that russian the russian capital moscow will be less than four hundred kilometers from the border so there is a geo political aspect but it seems that your politics are being played only in brussels worst in a century seems an economic issue and of course it is an economic issue but i'm not sure that you can have a level playing field if one side is playing geopolitics and the other side is playing trade negotiations and the junior stations i'm really interested get your perspective professor mark almond live there in oxford. university thank you very much indeed for being with us. thank you. or ukraine's president has now accepted the resignation of the country's prime minister and the entire cabinet will remain in their post until a new government is formed that says the country lawmakers voted in an emergency session to repeal most of the anti protest laws that triggered two weeks of violence

the concern was sometime in the spring the russians might take care to actions against georgia and moldova and ukraine somehow get back on your contract you think at all fight itself in mr. putin's target site. and the problem that we have is there is not a lot of leverage that the united states has now to exercise over the russians on it and reflect a couple of things. one is the deterioration the u.s.-russian relationship from two and half years ago. if they can relationship. we don't have much leverage to say, if you do a, the we might have to undercut you on b. the second is a huge imbalance in interest. for russia and for blow to putin, building russian influence is the number one priority. it's important to his vision of russia is a great power, it's important to his domestic views. being tough enemy but, having that influence is important with a constituency that he looks to for support at home. and he looks at the european union and says, the european union is challenging my projects i'm going to push back. on the case of ukraine, there is an area where we may have some leverage th

with the association agreements that were initialed with moldova and georgia last november, i think therussians were pleased that the ukrainians basically froze their process. but as we look at this the concern is that sometime in the spring the russians might take punitive actions against georgia and moldova. and the ukraine summit gets back on track, ukraine could also find itself in mr. putin's target sites. the problem we have is there is not a lot of leverage that the united states has now to exercise over the russians on this. a couple of things, one is the deterioration of the u.s.-russian relationship say, two and half years ago. it's a better relationship. we don't have much leverage to date if you do a, then we might have to cut -- undercut you on b. second, there's a huge imbalance in interest. for russia and for vladimir putin, building russian influence in the post-soviet space is the number one priority. it's important to his vision of rush as a great power. it's important to his domestic, being kept in the neighborhood, adding that influence is important with the constitu

that is why you see him putting pressure on the baltic states and will over and ukraine would moldovaine would be the prize. i see him as a person of incredible ego. anybody who goes around with -- withrt off nationally > his shirt off -- andll right, we are here how worried are you about the sochi olympics and terror attacks? >> very worried. >> what should we do? >> i think we have taken some precautions and americans who go there are to be informed. honestly, i think i know a lot about some things, but for me to make a judgment as to whether americans should going on, i not that wells informed. but i think we should pay attention to the cautions that the state department has put out. >> earlier today, iranian president rouhani gave a conciliatory speech trying to attract foreign investors. the investors who are here, the businessman, what do you say to them? don't touch it? >> i hope they will respect sanctions. is a great pr guy and has a great image. the fact is that he has -- when you get right down to it, they will insist on the right to enrich. as long as they have the right t

go broke this is a question about vladimir putin is concerned with the association agreement from moldova and georgia last november. the russians were pleased the ukrainians froze the process. but to take punitive actions from if he gets back contract you could find him in the target site. there isn't a lot of leverage chair exercised one is the deterioration of the relationship we don't have much leverage to say we may have to undercut but it is a huge imbalance of interest to do it is the number one priority that russia is a great power it is important with the constituency and looking at the european that i will push back. with the case of the ukraine we may have some leverage their but that will be maximized and it would not be used with the russians but targeted and it saves to view of yesterday's they announced some have been revoked because those fees the connections were with use of force there is more to be played the of threatening sanctions and also for a vigil sanctions and here is wearing it is important if they vacation in europe and go to school in europe. they want to trav

markets, and we're also working on energy dependence for moldova. secretary kerry made a stop in moldova made a stop there to give them a boost. similarly with georgia, we are doe ocused on efforts to stabilize minority areas and other parts, which is part of the pressure playbook. i was in georgia about a month ago to encourage the government and the opposition, now that they've had good elections, to come together around the strong economic program and to take full advantage and speed up their integration with the e.u., including doing what they need to do to get these as free as possible. >> one last comment, which is that we are incredibly well rved by you, but also by our ambassador there. it is an advertisement for this committee moving quick on the nominations, because we were able to get him nominated, put in place before the summer break, which gave him enough time to develop relationships that will come in very handy in he middle of a crisis. >> one last question. analysts have asserted that ussia is trying get critical infrastructure, ukr