Even after

the European Union reminded Ukraine that a visa-free regime would depend on the

adoption of certain human rights bills, Ukraine’s parliament on Nov. 5 failed

to pass a landmark bill on discrimination – a move that activists say may scare

Europe off for years to come.

European

Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker spelled it all out for President

Petro Poroshenko very clearly in a letter on Nov. 5. He reminded the Ukrainian

president that there were certain prerequisites for approval of a visa-free

regime with the EU: namely anti-corruption reforms and the adoption of

legislation to prohibit discrimination in the work place on the basis of sexual

orientation.