EU leaders will trade blows with Russian president Vladimir Putin over Moscow’s perceived interference in Ukraine when they meet in Brussels on Tuesday.<br /><br />It comes just over two months after President Putin convinced his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yanukovich, to back out of a trade deal with the EU at a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.<br /><br />“The issue of Ukraine will be among those discussed. Events in our neighbourhood prompted the EU leaders – instead of having a summit in the type of business-as-usual (way)- to rather focus on a strategic debate with the Russian president,” said Maja Kocijanic, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.<br /><br />Putin outmaneuvered EU officials by offering Yanukovich 11 billion euros in loans, credits and gas discounts to bail out Ukraine’s economy.<br /><br />Russian ambassador to EU Vladimir Chizhov told euronews: “By my observation, the European Union has taken with a lot sensitivity the results of the Vilnius summit, including the decision taken by the Ukrainian leadership to postpone the signing of the Association agreement. I don’t see a necessity to make it a subject of discussion at our summit.” <br /><br />Putin wants to avoid any public criticism of the EU ahead of the forthcoming Sochi Olympics.<br /><br />He’s made concessions, such as releasing activists Pussy Riot, in a bid to stave off the threat of a boycott.
