Consensus has been reached among European Union states about imposing sanctions on Ukrainian officials over the violence in Kiev that has killed dozens of people, Poland's deputy foreign minister said.
Piotr Serafin was speaking to reporters after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk held telephone consultations on Ukraine with other EU heads of government and leaders of European institutions.
"The events over the last 24 hours justify the decision of the European Union on sanctions. There was full unity of views among all the people with whom Prime Minister Tusk spoke," Serafin said.
Meanwhile, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski is heading to the Ukrainian capital at the request of the European Union, he said in a Twitter post.
"On my way to Kiev," he wrote.
This as, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich accused pro-European opposition leaders on Wednesday of trying to seize power by force after at least 26 people died in the worst violence since the former Soviet republic gained independence.
European Union leaders said they were urgently preparing targeted sanctions against those responsible for a crackdown on protesters who have been occupying central Kiev for almost three months since Yanukovich spurned a far-reaching trade deal with the EU and accepted a $15-billion Russian bailout.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman insisted the Kremlin was sticking to a policy of not intervening in Ukraine, although his point man has called for action to crush the protests. The Kremlin said Putin and Yanukovich spoke by telephone overnight, calling the events an attempted coup.
Moscow announced the resumption of stalled aid to Kiev on Monday with a $2-million cash injection hours before the crackdown began.
Hungary supports proposals to impose sanctions on Ukraine if it fails to resolve a crisis after clashes between protesters and police in Kiev killed and wounded dozens of people, a Hungarian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.
EIB freezes activities in Ukraine:
The European Investment Bank (EIB) said on Wednesday it had frozen its activities in Ukraine after at least 26 people died in the worst violence since the former Soviet republic gained independence.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the largest financial investor in Ukraine, said it had already scaled back its dealings with Kiev but had not suspended operations.
"For the time being the situation is so cruel that it would be politically the wrong signal, but also irresponsible vis-a-vis the people we asked to do the job, to be active on business in Ukraine," EIB President Werner Hoyer told a news conference.
French, German, Polish ministers to travel to Ukraine:
The foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland will travel to Kiev on Thursday to assess the situation before a meeting in Brussels to decide whether to impose sanctions on Ukraine, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Wednesday.
"With my Polish and German colleagues we have decided to go to Kiev tomorrow morning ... to gather the latest information before the meeting in Brussels," Fabius said alongside U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
Kerry said the U.S. was discussing with its allies the possibility of sanctions and said there was still time to reach a compromise.
Reactions:
President Barack Obama warned on Wednesday that there would be consequences if violence continues in Ukraine, saying the Ukrainian military should not step into a situation that could be resolved by civilians.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Obama said he condemned the violence in Kiev in the strongest possible terms, and said he believes a peaceful resolution is still possible.
For his part, NATO's top military commander appealed to Ukraine's leaders to avoid using military force against their people and called for dialogue with the country's new military leadership.
In Twitter messages, U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, asked that "responsible leaders avoid the use of military force against the people of Ukraine."
"I am calling upon the new military leadership in Ukraine to open a dialogue with us to bring this situation to a peaceful resolution," Breedlove said.
In turn, British Prime Minister David Cameron called on the Ukrainian authorities to pull back security forces surrounding protesters in Kiev, telling Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich the world was closely watching his actions.
"I am deeply concerned by the scenes we are witnessing in Ukraine," Cameron said in a statement released by his office. "The violence on all sides is completely unacceptable and President Yanukovich has a particular responsibility to pull back government forces and de-escalate the situation.
"President Yanukovich should be under no doubt that the world is watching his actions and that those responsible for violence will be held accountable."
This as, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso spoke to Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovich by phone to condemn the use of force against protesters and urge an immediate end to violence.
"He conveyed his shock and dismay with the recent clashes in Ukraine which led to an important number of dead and injured people. He called for an immediate end of the violence and firmly condemned the use of force to solve the political crisis," the European Commission said in a statement.
As well, the United States urged the Ukrainian government to pull back riot police from Independence Square in Kiev, call a truce and hold discussions with the opposition, White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said on Wednesday.
Rhodes, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, said the White House would consider the use of sanctions against those responsible for the violence in Ukraine and is in consultation with the European Union about possible sanctions.
He said the United States would like to see Russia support efforts to reduce tensions in Ukraine.
This comes after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the imminent threat of sanctions against the Ukrainian government was meant to show Kiev that the European Union is serious about the need for a return to political dialogue.
"When (EU) foreign ministers meet tomorrow in Brussels they must talk about which specific sanctions should be imposed to show we are serious that the political process must resume...," she told a news conference with French leader Francois Hollande.
"But sanctions alone are not enough," said Merkel, adding that it was necessary to talk to both the opposition and Viktor Yanukovich's government to help bring peace to Ukraine.
REUTERS
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