EU Approves New Cox-Kwasniewski Mission To Ukraine

Former European Parliament President Pat Cox (left), former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski (center), and European Parliament President Martin Schulz address a press conference at the European Parliament in Brussels on December 4.

BRUSSELS -- The European Parliament's envoys to Ukraine have been given the green light to once again travel to Ukraine, if they can establish clear interlocutors in the Ukrainian government.

The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, had said he was prepared to prolong the mission in order to to build a bridge between the government and the opposition.

Former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and former European Parliament President Pat Cox were first sent to Ukraine in 2011 with the dual tasks of addressing the issue of selective justice and finding a humanitarian solution for imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko -- issues that remain unresolved.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich refused to sign an Association Agreement with the EU at a summit in Vilnius last week, leading to big demonstrations in Kyiv and other cities.