Jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko called on EU leaders to drop all demands and sign a historic pact with Ukraine without any preconditions at a summit that opens Thursday.
An EU summit designed to draw six ex-Soviet states to the West opens with its ambitions dented Thursday after Ukraine, the biggest of the six, caved into Moscow to hand Europe a mighty "Nyet".
Russia's president on Tuesday called for European leaders to end their criticism over Ukraine's decision to delay a key EU pact, as thousands rallied in Kiev in a third day of protests.