BELGIUM: The EU Commission condemns violence in Ukraine and urges restraint from both the government and demonstrators after a weekend of clashes between pro-EU protesters and authorities in Kiev

Record ID: 861928

  • Title: BELGIUM: The EU Commission condemns violence in Ukraine and urges restraint from both the government and demonstrators after a weekend of clashes between pro-EU protesters and authorities in Kiev
  • Date: 2nd December 2013
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (RECENT) (REUTERS) EU FLAGS OUTSIDE COMMISSION ENTRANCE TO COMMISSION
  • Embargoed: 17th December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • City:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: European Union,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8ETDGLOADOUIMGXNSBZE3645C
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  • Story Text: The EU Commission on Monday (December 2) condemned the violence in Ukraine and called upon both protesters and the government to use restraint and to solve their differences in a peaceful manner.
    The call came after a weekend of violent clashes between Ukraine's authorities and demonstrators protesting against Kiev's policy U-turn away from integration with Europe.

    "We have condemned the violence, we have also expressed our support for the freedom of speech and the freedom of assembly. We believe that the protests need to take place in a peaceful atmosphere and that both protesters and Ukrainian authorities need to show restraint and that this is really done in a peaceful manner and important as well that we encourage all parts of the Ukrainian society to resolve their differences, again peacefully, and we urge the stakeholders in the political process to establish the dialogue to facilitate a mutually acceptable solution to the current discord," Maja Kocijancic, the spokesperson of the EU's Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, told journalists during a regular news conference in Brussels.
    The EU Commission repeated its stance that the offer for Ukraine to sign a trade deal with Europe remained on the table.

    "The benchmarks have not changed, and we still are urging Ukraine to fulfil them, and we have said very clearly and feel that we also explained this already that the offer remains on the table but that is provided that the benchmarks are fulfilled," said Kocijancic.
    Opposition leaders are demanding the resignation of Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovich and the government after he backed away from signing a landmark trade deal with the European Union, following years of careful preparation, and switched trade policy back towards Russia, Ukraine's former Soviet master.
    There were violent clashes on Sunday near the main presidential administration building - Yanukovich's seat of power - with riot police using tear gas, stun grenades and batons to disperse crowds. Police later clashed with a group of masked protesters trying to pull down a monument to Soviet state founder Lenin.
    SOn Monday about 1,000 protesters blocked off the Ukrainian government's main headquarters and surrounding streets, preventing employees from getting to work. Kiev's main thoroughfare and approach roads to its main Independence Square - focal point of Sunday's rally and the centre of the "Orange Revolution" protests nine years ago - were closed to traffic.
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