Ukraine revolution: EU takes action and sanctions following Kiev bloodshed

Europe's leaders are to consider urgent sanctions against Ukraine after the worst violence in months of unrest claimed at least 26 lives.

There were sporadic clashes on Wednesday following Tuesday night's police bid to dislodge protesters from their stronghold in the capital Kiev.

President Viktor Yanukovych blamed opposition leaders and Russia spoke of an attempted coup.

But the EU said it expected measures to target those behind the "repression".

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso spoke of the responsibility of "the political leadership" while several EU countries said they had no doubts that the Ukrainian authorities were to blame. 

At a joint news conference, French President Francois Hollande said those responsible for the violence "will be sanctioned" at an emergency meeting due to take place on Thursday, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed the threat, saying they were "side by side with the men and women who suffer".

Meanwhile Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Serafin said there was "complete consensus" among EU leaders about the need to introduce sanctions against Ukraine.

The foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland are to meet in Kiev on Thursday to assess the situation before an EU meeting in Brussels to decide whether to impose sanctions against Ukraine, said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

Note EU-Digest: People on the Kiev barricades were waiving EU flags against the Ukraine dictatorship  and deserve all the help the EU can give them.


Read more: BBC News - Ukraine crisis: EU sanctions push over Kiev bloodshed