Ukraine will begin negotiations for an Association Agreement with the EU and the creation of a free trade zone, says Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.

"With our European partners we will speak the language of facts and figures. We must not ignore the risks, " said Azarov at the Cabinet meeting Thursday.

The Ukrainian PM assigned the task to make the necessary preparations for the signing of the Agreement "in a very short period of time," the Bulgarian news agency "Focus"reported.

For weeks in a row, pro-EU protesters vent their anger at President Viktor Yanukovych's refusal to sign a strategic agreement with the EU and seek closer ties with Russia instead.

The wave of demonstrations in support of EU integration in Ukraine started on November 21 after the decision of Yanukovych to back out of an Association Agreement with the European Union amid pressure from the Kremlin.