EU, ex-Soviet state leaders meet as Russia tensions simmer

European Union leaders are meeting with their counterparts from five former Soviet republics, including Ukraine, with an eye toward deepening political, trade, energy and cultural ties

BRUSSELS -- As tensions with Russia simmer, European Union leaders met Wednesday with their counterparts from five former Soviet republics, including Ukraine, with an eye toward deepening political, trade, energy and cultural ties.

The EU’s Eastern Partnership includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, is boycotting the forum due to EU sanctions over reported fraud in his reelection last year a security crackdown on antigovernment protesters that followed.

The Eastern Partnership was set up after Moscow sent troops into Georgia in 2008, stunning the Europeans and much of the world. It aims to improve and deepen relations among the six countries, most of which share borders with Russia and are strategically important energy hubs, as well as with the 27-nation EU.

The meeting was intended to affirm the participants' “strong commitment to our strategic, ambitious and forward-looking” partnership, based “on common fundamental values,” according to a draft of the summit statement seen by The Associated Press.