Handout picture taken and released by Ukrainian presidential press service on June 21, 2014 shows Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (C) during his broadcast address to the nation. Poroshenko ordered his forces to hold fire for a week on Friday evening as part of a broader peace plan AFP PHOTO/ PRESIDENTIAL PRESS-SERVICE/ MYKHAYLO MARKIV

BRUSSELS- The European Union on Friday signed association accords with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova as the three former Soviet republics committed themselves to a future in Europe.

“This is a great day for Europe… the European Union stands by your side today more than ever before,” European Council head Herman Van Rompuy said at the ceremony with Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko and prime ministers Irakli Garibashvili of Georgia and Iurie Leanca of Moldova.

Ukraine’s new Western-backed president on Friday signed a landmark EU pact whose rejection by his pro-Moscow predecessor plunged the ex-Soviet country into turmoil and sent East-West relations to their lowest level since the Cold War

The European Union also sealed the partnership agreements with Georgia and Moldova — two former Soviet nations nations with similarly complicated relations with Russia.

Poroshenko said the deal offered Ukraine “an absolutely new perspective for my country,” hailing a “historic day, the most important day since independence.”

The deals were signed in Brussels just hours after pro-Russian rebels released four monitors from the Organisation and Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) they had abducted on May 26.

Another four European observers and their Ukrainian translator are still being held captive by the gunmen and Putin has personally urged the militias to secure their release.

The Kremlin chief denies exerting control over the fighters and is yet to address in public reports from Kiev and Washington of rocket launchers and even tanks crossing the Russian border into the conflict zone.

/AFP