13 December 2016, 20:27 GMT
BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – Merkel said on Thursday that the issue of ratification was presented by the Netherlands "in a lot more positive way than just a few weeks ago."
Meanwhile President of the European Council Donald Tusk told journalists that the European Union expects the Netherlands to ratify the deal.
"We have adopted a legally-binding decision of the leaders to facilitate ratification in the Netherlands… The ratification is important, not only for Ukraine but also for Europe’s geopolitical standing and credibility. We are now counting on our Dutch colleagues," Tusk said.
The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was signed in 2014, and is required to be ratified by all 28 member states of the European Union to enter into force. The agreement has not yet been ratified by the Netherlands, whose nationals rejected the deal in an April referendum.
