None of the leaders of parliamentary factions in the Verkhovna Rada showed up for a scheduled meeting with the European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström. A source from the entourage of European Commissioner informed Yevropeyskaya Pravdaabout it.
"We were surprised not only by that. We planned to discuss trade relations between Ukraine and the EU, and instead, MPs were talking only on the strengthening of sanctions against Russia," - said the source.
The issue of sanctions is not in the jurisdiction of Cecilia Malmström.
As previously reported, the European Commissioner arrived in Kiev on the eve. During her visit, she met with Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin, Deputy Prime Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivana Klympush-Tsintsadze and announced a European Commission proposal to provide Ukraine additional trade preferences.