EU Calls Emergency Meeting On Ukraine

Reuters reports:

EU foreign ministers called an emergency meeting on Ukraine for Thursday and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the 28-nation bloc was set to impose sanctions against those blamed for the bloodshed. "We have ... made it clear that the EU will respond to any deterioration on the ground," Barroso said in a statement. "We therefore expect that targeted measures against those responsible for violence and use of excessive force can be agreed by our member states as a matter of urgency." EU ambassadors were meeting in Brussels to consider steps including travel bans to asset freezes. Neighboring Poland and former Soviet republic Latvia called for emergency EU action against the Ukrainian authorities. The leaders of Germany and France, the EU's main powers, were meeting in Paris and were expected to issue a joint statement on the crisis later in the day. French President Francois Hollande backed Poland's call for "quick and targeted sanctions against those responsible".

The US State Department has issued a warning to Americans in Ukraine.

Since February 18, there has been a sharp escalation in violence between protesters and police. The Ukrainian Security Services have announced that they may take extraordinary measures beginning the evening of February 18. U.S. citizens are urged to maintain a low profile and to remain indoors at night while clashes continue. As of February 18, the Kyiv Metro (subway) has been shut down and access into Kyiv by road has, according to credible reports, been restricted. The situation is currently very fluid and U.S. citizens in Kyiv should follow media reports closely as events develop.

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