Ashton and EU ministers to skip Kiev meeting / Ukraine a thorn in the side of NATO-Russia ties

The EU foreign service (the European External Action Service - EEAS), most of the European Union's big member states and the US did not send their top people to the 20th OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Kiev, 5-6 December 2013.

The meeting came amid mass-scale protests and police violence in Kiev after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych opted not to sign an EU association pact at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius in the end of November 2013.

Deutsche Welle on 5 December 2013 reported that NATO foreign ministers on 3 December 2013 condemned the violence against the demonstrators in Kyiv. This was highly criticised by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who didn't understand why NATO commented on the issue, saying it conveyed a 'completely distorted image' of the situation in Ukraine.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: 350,000 Kiev citizens take to streets after Yanukovich’s EU U-turn / Memo: Joint Statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Štefan Füle on last night's events in Ukraine http://www.europeansources.info/record/350000-kiev-citizens-take-to-streets-after-yanukovichs-eu-u-turn-eu-reacts-to-the-events-in-ukraine/

EUObserver, 05.12.13: German FM visits pro-EU protesters in Ukraine http://euobserver.com/foreign/122358

EurActiv, 05.12.13: Russia condemns ‘aggressive’ Ukraine protests, NATO response http://www.euractiv.com/europes-east/russia-denounces-aggressive-ukra-news-532130

Deutsche Welle, 05.12.13: Germany's Foreign Minister Westerwelle visits Ukrainian protesters http://dw.de/p/1ATBR

Deutsche Welle, 05.12.13: Ukraine a thorn in the side of NATO-Russia ties http://dw.de/p/1ATDL

BBC News, 04.12.13: Ukraine unrest: Former presidents back mass protests http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25216727

Deutsche Welle, 05.12.13: Kyiv's Maidan protesters in it for the duration http://dw.de/p/1ATC9

France24, 04.12.13: Ukrainian delegations head to Brussels, Moscow http://www.france24.com/en/20131204-ukraine-delegations-brussels-moscow-protests

EurActiv, 05.12.13: Kerry snubs Ukraine, visits Moldova http://www.euractiv.com/europes-east/kerry-snubs-ukraine-pays-tribute-news-532145

Spiegel Online International, 05.12.13: Rebel Broadcast: Web Channel a Key Source Amid Ukraine Protests http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/gromadske-tv-station-becomes-source-for-anti-yanukovych-protests-a-937470.html

Deutsche Welle, 06.12.13: Ruslana: 'There is no way back' http://dw.de/p/1ATRc

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