An important reason why Yanukovich did not sign the association agreement with the European Union in November 2013 is the mismatch between the limited immediate economic and financial benefits the European Union had to offer in comparison to the economic pressure and financial assistance Russia could bring to the table . Capitalizing on recent political unrest in Ukraine , the European Union is now trying to correct this and alleviate the economic and financial pressure the Ukrainian opposition faces, hoping to sway Kiev back toward the West. On Feb. 5, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met with Ukrainian leaders in Kiev and announced that the European Union could provide assistance to Ukraine in the form of expertise, technical ability and resources, but that any potential economic package would be contingent upon economic reforms. Officials from both the European Union and the United States have said that the disbursement of...