Ukraine's Yanukovich playing hardball over EU signing - diplomatic source

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By Richard Balmforth KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich is seeking to outmaneuver the European Union in a tussle over the fate of jailed opponent Yulia Tymoshenko by threatening to pull out of a landmark trade pact next week, a European diplomatic source said on Wednesday. The source quoted Yanukovich as saying in a meeting with an EU representative: "The current situation does not allow me to sign." But the source said he believed Yanukovich was bluffing to secure better financial terms from the 28-member bloc in return for signing the free trade and cooperation deal. Ukraine is scheduled to sign the far-reaching agreement at a summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on November 29, marking a strategic shift westwards for the former Soviet republic away from Russia. But success in Vilnius has been thrown into jeopardy by a wrangle over the plight of ex-prime minister Tymoshenko, Yanukovich's fiercest opponent, whom he only narrowly defeated in a run-off vote in February 2010.

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