Poetin wil nauwere handelsbetrekkingen met Oekraïne, Wit-Rusland en Kazachstan (en)

Vladimir Putin has accused "western secret services" of torpedoing Ukraine-Russia integration.

Speaking to a business forum in the southern Ukrainian city of Yalta, the Russian President - using language reminiscent of the Cold War - pressed for the continued development of a common Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakstan economic space.

"Uniting would raise our competitiveness, not only we understand this, but also serious people, our foreign partners. Their agents, in our countries and outside them, endeavour to discredit the integration of Russia and Ukraine", he said, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

Ukraine has approved membership of this space, but, so far, the government has insisted it will not implement anything that damages its chances of EU integration - such as a single currency or a free trade zone.

But after a period of rocky relations with the EU, Ukraine may once again be looking towards Moscow.

According to Interfax, Ukraine President Leonid Kuchma now sees the creation of a "full-fledged, unrestricted free trade area" as a priority.

EU officials have warned that this may conflict with the EU's customs union.

The EU and Ukraine are currently in talks over developing a new basis for relations under the Union's European Neighbourhood Policy, which Kiev has said offers little added value.