Topconferentie EU-Rusland overschaduwd door crisis in Oekraïne (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU leaders will meet with Vladimir Putin in the Hague on Thursday (25 November) against the backdrop of continuing instability in Ukraine.

Dutch officials said on Wednesday that the issue of Ukraine's contested elections would be raised when Mr Putin meets EU representatives.

Claims by opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko and international observers that the elections were rigged in favour of the official winner and pro-Moscow candidate Viktor Yanukovich have brought tens of thousands of protestors onto the streets.

Seen by many as a proxy geopolitical battle between the EU and US on one side and Russia on the other Ukraine's elections have seen both the EU and Russia accusing each other of interfering.

With relations between the EU and Russia already difficult, diplomats are keen not to let the Ukrainian elections sour ties further, but with bellicose statements flying between Brussels and Moscow, the summit is likely to be edgy.

Russian authorities have accused the EU of interfering in Ukraine's domestic politics and similar claims have been heard in Brussels about Moscow's actions.

Speaking to the European Parliament on Wednesday EU high Representative Javier Solana described Russian allegations that the EU was inciting violence as "without foundation".

No glorious contribution

On Wednesday Marek Siwiec, the head of the European Parliament election observation mission said that Russia's role in the presidential run-off was "not a glorious contribution".

Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Elmar Brok has called for the EU to give the Ukrainian elections priority bilaterally and internationally

"[In] the current situation, President Putin of Russia also has a heavy responsibility", he said on Thursday.

Berlin on the phone to Putin

However there are some signs of agreement.

President Putin has apparently stepped back from his congratulatory remarks towards Viktor Yanukovich which made Russia the only country apart from Belarus to recognise the results of the elections.

On Wednesday German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder spoke by telephone to Vladimir Putin about the issue. According to a statement from the Kremlin, the two agreed that the issue must be resolved legally.

The EU-Russian summit was scheduled to focus on a bilateral agreement between the EU and Russia on creating four 'Common Spaces' in the domains of the economy; freedom, security and justice; external security; and education, research and culture, however the extra-time gleaned from delaying the summit appears not to have been enough to reach a deal.

"Negotiations are continuing in the Hague, even tonight" a Dutch spokesperson said late on Wednesday.

However, Diplomats are doubtful that a deal can be reached before tomorrow.

Although broad agreement has been reached on the education and economic spheres the EU has said that it will only agree to the deal when all negotiations are completed.