The ratification Tuesday of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement received strong support in Kyiv and Strasbourg. Ukrainian President Poroshenko has called the pact a "de facto" reform program for Ukraine as it creates a free-trade environment with the European Union.

In simultaneous ceremonies, the documents were signed in Kyiv and in Strasbourg by Ukrainian and EU officials, respectively.

However, the pact will not be implemented until the end of 2015 due to protests from Russia, a country that also has a free trade agreement with Ukraine but does not have one with the EU. Russian officials fear that the Russian market would be flooded with goods from the EU, and have attempted to insert amendments to the agreement that would prevent this.

mz/bw (AFP, dpa)