A free trade agreement with the European Union is strategically more advantageous to Ukraine than rapprochement with the Customs Union (Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan), Executive Director at the Bleyzer Foundation Oleg Ustenko said at a press conference at UKRINFORM.

Ustenko said that the signing of an agreement with the European Union, including the creation of a free trade area, although it may cause some short-term losses, would strategically resolve most problems in Ukraine and give an impetus to the country's development.

"This impetus is mainly linked to the possibility of strengthening the competitiveness of Ukrainian producers, and not only on European markets," he said.

"In the accession to the Customs Union, we see only short-term advantages," the expert added.

In his opinion, the EU and the Customs Union are mutually exclusive vectors. "Joining the Customs Union will not allow Ukraine to move towards European integration regarding the signing of a free trade agreement with the EU," Ustenko said.

UKRINFORM