The US State Department said on Wednesday it is considering all options, including sanctions, toward Ukraine, where riot police moved against demonstrators overnight after weeks of protests against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich.
- Pro-EU Maidan standoff continues. LIVE UPDATES
"All
policy options, including sanctions, are on the table, in our view, but
obviously that still is being evaluated," State Department spokeswoman
Jen Psaki told reporters, declining to specify what kinds of sanctions
may be under consideration.
US warns Ukraine against military force on protesters
Pentagon
chief Chuck Hagel warned Ukraine on Wednesday against using military
force on protesters "in any fashion," and called for restraint.
In
a call with his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Lebedev, Hagel also
"underlined the potential damage of any involvement by the military in
breaking up the demonstrations," assistant Pentagon spokesman Carl Woog
said in a statement.
President Viktor Yanukovych vowed earlier that the authorities would never use force against peaceful protests.
Ukraine's Yanukovych vows not to use force, urges dialogue
Ukraine's
President Viktor Yanukovych on Wednesday vowed not to use force against
peaceful protesters and urged the opposition to sit down for talks
after several dozen were injured in fresh clashes with riot police.
"For
the sake of achieving compromise I am calling on the opposition not to
reject (talks), not to follow the path of confrontation and ultimatums,"
Yanukovych said in a statement, adding that the authorities would
"never use force against peaceful protests."
Yanukovych confirmed intention to sign EU association deal, ready for dialogue with opposition - Ashton
Ukrainian
President Viktor Yanukovych has confirmed his intention to sign the EU
association agreement and to start a dialogue to resolve the crisis in
the country, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a
statement.
Ashton
then condemned the violence at the protests in Kiev and said that the
actions of Ukrainian law enforcers on Tuesday night could hamper the
start of political dialogue.
Use of force against opposition supporters in Kiev complicates political dialogue - Ashton
The
European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy Catherine Ashton has expressed deep concerns over the use of
force against opposition supporters in Kiev last night. Violence cannot
be a response to peaceful protests, she said in a statement.
Last
night’s events complicate prospects for political dialogue, said Ashton
after meeting with opposition activists and former Ukrainian presidents
during her visit to Kiev.
Last
night, police drove protesters away from Independence Square, the
so-called "euromaidan", in central Kiev and removed barricades put up by
the opposition in some of the streets to reopen the roads to traffic.
Police said that no tear gas or other special measures had been used.
Yanukovych, Nuland meeting was productive - Ukrainian presidential press service
Ukrainian
President Viktor Yanukovych and US Assistant Secretary of State for
European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland had a productive
conversation in Kiev on Wednesday, during which they discussed aspects
of Ukrainian-US bilateral relations, internal and external challenges
facing Ukraine today, and possible ways to settle the situation, the
Ukrainian presidential press service reported.
US Assistant Secretary of State Nuland arrives at opposition rally in Kiev.
US
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria
Nuland arrived on Wednesday morning at Independence Square in Kiev. She
began speaking with protesters rallying in support for Ukraine's
integration with the European Union. Nuland is treating protesters with
cookies, biscuits and bread from a big package.
What happened last night with protesters was absolutely impermissible in democratic society - Nuland to Yanukovych
US
Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland on Wednesday complained to
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich about actions against protesters
that were "absolutely impermissible" in a democratic society. Nuland
told reporters in Kiev that she had had "tough but realistic talks" with
Yanukovich which lasted for more than two hours.
Overnight, riot police moved against demonstrators in Kiev in the authorities' biggest attempt yet to reclaim the streets after weeks of protests.
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