New Ukraine President Meets With EU Leaders in Brussels

Ukraine's new President Viktor Yanukovych is meeting with European Union officials in Brussels Monday on his first official foreign visit.

Ukrainian officials say Mr. Yanukovych is seeking to position the country as a bridge between Europe and Russia. The Ukrainian president says he wants to maintain good relations with the West.

Mr. Yanukovych will meet in Brussels with EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, EU President Herman Van Rompuy and Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton.

Officials said Mr. Yanukovych's talks are expected to touch on the security and reliability of Russian energy supplies that move through pipelines in Ukraine to EU states.

Ongoing disputes between Russia and Ukraine have disrupted natural gas supplies to the rest of Europe. In January of last year, gas supplies were cut off for almost two weeks during a cold snap.