Ukraine crisis: world leaders condemns violence, EU eyes sanctions
19 February 2014, 23:32
Countries across the world issued condemnations Wednesday of fatal violence in Ukraine as Russia and the European Union clashed over who was to blame. Meanwhile EU foreign ministers have been summoned to Brussels for talks Thursday by the bloc's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton. Russia joined condemnations of the violence, but accused European leaders of failing to hold Ukrainian opposition leaders responsible.
The EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced that EU foreign ministers would hold an extraordinary meeting in Brussels on Thursday to discuss a response, with options on the table including sanctions against individuals considered responsible for the bloodshed.
'All possible options will be explored, including restrictive measures against those responsible for repression and human rights violations,' she said.
Germany and France on Wednesday strongly condemned the deadly violence in Ukraine, with President Francois Hollande urging sanctions and Chancellor Angela Merkel expressing solidarity with protestors.
'There are unspeakable, unacceptable, intolerable acts being carried out in Ukraine,' Hollande said at a joint press conference with his German counterpart in Paris.
Speaking of 'violence, brutality and repression' of the highest order, Hollande said both he and Angela Merkel condemned 'all these acts and the brutality emanating from the state.'
'All those who have committed these acts, all those who are preparing to commit these acts, must know that they will face sanctions,' he said.
'We stand with the men and women suffering' in Kiev, Merkel added.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday he was 'deeply concerned' by the scenes in Kiev. He said that while the violence on the side of both the government and the protesters was 'completely unacceptable', Yanukovych 'has a particular responsibility to pull back government forces and de-escalate the situation'.
'The president needs to engage with the opposition and work with all sides in Ukraine to agree political reforms that reflect the democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people,' Cameron said.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague will attend an emergency meeting of European Union foreign ministers on Thursday, where the issue of sanctions against the Ukrainian government will be on the table. Hague said the Ukrainian government should be held accountable for the violence.
'It was with shock and utter dismay that we have been watching developments over the last 24 hours in Ukraine,' European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement.
'It is the political leadership of the country that has a responsibility to ensure the necessary protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.'
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt tweeted Wednesday that responsibility for deaths lay with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, saying: 'He has blood on his hands.'
Russia joined condemnations of the violence, but accused European leaders of failing to hold Ukrainian opposition leaders responsible.
'As a result of the criminal activity of radical elements from the opposition, last night saw bloodshed in Kiev and a series of other Ukrainian cities,' the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
'We do not see any clear response from European politicians and structures, who refuse to admit that all the responsibility for the actions of radical elements inside Ukraine lies with the opposition.'
The Kremlin views the actions of the Ukrainian opposition as an attempt to seize power by force, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said Wednesday after confirming that Putin spoke by telephone to Yanukovych on Tuesday evening.
Pope Francis also raised the subject of Ukraine at an audience Wednesday in the Vatican, during which he said that he would be praying for the victims.
'I call on all sides to cease violence and start the search for peace,' the Pontiff said.
The United States called on both sides to de-escalate the crisis. The White House on Wednesday called the deadly violence on the streets of Kiev 'completely outrageous' and renewed its appeal for calm, warning that sanctions against Ukraine could follow.
The comments from US Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes came as President Barack Obama headed to Mexico for a summit of North American leaders.
Obama was expected to make public comments on Ukraine later in the day, Rhodes told reporters aboard Air Force One. Rhodes also warned that Washington was considering possible sanctions against those behind the unrest.
The Pentagon for its part called on Ukraine's army to stay out of the conflict and warned that if it intervened, Washington would review ties with the country's military.
US Vice President Joseph Biden telephoned Yanukovych overnight to express his 'grave concern regarding the crisis' on the streets of Kiev, the White House said in a statement.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay called Wednesday for calm in Ukraine and demanded an independent investigation into deadly clashes between police and protesters.
'I strongly condemn the killings and urge the government and protesters to act to defuse tensions and to take swift action to find a peaceful solution,' said Pillay.
French, German, Polish FMs to visit Ukraine
France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will arrive in Kiev, Ukraine, on Thursday along with his Polish and German counterparts.
Earlier reports said that Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski would travel to Kiev on Thursday at the request of European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
Mass street protests resumed in Kiev on Tuesday as the Verkhovna Rada met in a bid to work out a solution to the crisis. The opposition demanded a reinstatement of the 2004 constitution and parliamentary rule.
Aggressive crowds attempted to break through to the House of Parliament. Radicals burst into buildings, smashed windows, burnt tyres and threw stones and Molotov cocktails at police. Some protesters used firearms.
Polish FM Sikorski to start diplomatic mission in Ukraine at EU request
Poland's foreign minister said Wednesday the European Union had asked him to go to Ukraine where three months of anti-government protests have escalated into deadly clashes between police and demonstrators.
'At the request of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, I will soon start a mission in Kiev,' Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Twitter.
Ukraine: opposition leaders, Western countries to blame for clashes escalation - Lavrov
Several Western countries to blame for failure of understanding between Ukranian government and opposition by encouraging opposition to provocate actions and threatening with sanctions, said Russia FM Sergei Lavrov. Russia urges West to refrain from obtrusive mediation in Ukraine, said Lavrov.
Extremists are to blame for the events happening in Ukraine, however opposition forces, which refused the compromise, and Western countries, which interfered in the domestic affairs of Ukraine, bare some responsibility as well, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
'Of course, the blame is on extremists, who tried all these weeks and all these months to bring the situation to such forceful scenario but considerable share of responsibility is also on opposition activists, who refused compromise, gave the authorities demands outside the legal frame and in the end turned out to be incapable to fulfill what has been agreed,' Lavrov said at a news conference following a meeting with his Kuwaiti counterpart.
Moscow assesses events in Ukraine as attempt of coup d'état – Kremlin's spokesman
The Kremlin 'interprets the events in Ukraine as an attempt at a coup d'état,' Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov said. He has explained that the seizure of buildings, as well as the seizure of weapons was taking place in Ukraine.
'Moscow strongly condemns violence on the part of the extremist elements, which used the fulfillment of conditions of the amnesty and immediately began violent actions,' Peskov said.
'The President of Russia has not given and does not give advice to his Ukrainian colleague on how and what to do. And he is not going to give advice in the future,' Peskov said. 'The position of the Russian leadership, the President of the Russian Federation regarding the events in Ukraine, is to wait until the early settlement of the situation, but in what way and by what means the settlement will be achieved is the exclusive prerogative of the legitimate authorities,' he said.
Voice of Russia, AFP, Reuters, Interfax, RIA
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