Violence in Ukraine: Yanukovych Forces EU into Sanctions

[unhappycamper]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/violence-in-ukraine-leads-eu-to-finally-consider-sanctions-a-954511.html



The EU resisted the idea of imposing sanctions on Ukraine for a long time. With violence in Kiev intensifying, however, Brussels has little choice. But what can Europe really do?

Violence in Ukraine: Yanukovych Forces EU into Sanctions
By Gregor Peter Schmitz in Brussels
February 19, 2014 – 06:07 PM

If the situation in Ukraine wasn't so grim, one could almost laugh at an irony it has produced. Earlier this month, American diplomat Victoria Nuland gained instant worldwide notoriety when a recording of her saying "Fuck the EU" went viral. In the bugged telephone call with a colleague, she expressed her clear hope that the EU would finally apply sanctions against the government of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

Europe was indignant; the outcry was intense. But now, following the events of Tuesday in Ukraine, Nuland is likely to get what she wanted.

The images from Independence Square in Kiev have become too brutal to ignore. And with neither side having shown a willingness to back down, Wednesday night could very well see more fatalities on top of the 25 who lost their lives on Tuesday.

On Thursday, European Union foreign ministers are set to meet at a hurriedly arranged meeting in Brussels to determine the extent of the penalties that will be levied on Ukraine's political leadership. According to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, member-state diplomats laid the foundation for such penalties on Wednesday. "All possible options will be explored," she said in a statement, "including restrictive measures against those responsible for repression and human rights violations."