| Author (Person) | Rettman, Andrew |
|---|---|
| Series Title | EUObserver |
| Series Details | 01.02.14 |
| Publication Date | 01/02/2014 |
| Content Type | News |
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Russian, US and European leaders at the Munich Security Conference on the 1 February 2014 clashed over the situation of protest and unrest in Ukraine. US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed the solidarity of the US and EU with the people of Ukraine. His Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov criticised the West for getting too involved. European Council President Herman van Rompuy said 'the future of Ukraine lies in Europe'. European Commissioner for Enlargement Štefan Füle said that only the promise of future EU accession could change former Soviet states. Ukrainian opposition politician Vitaly Klitschko said that, in the short term, the opposition needed EU sanctions on Ukrainian officials to pressure them to call early elections. While Russia called for the Ukrainian opposition to stop its posture of threats and ultimatums, the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said sanctions should be used as a threat against Ukraine's government unless it finds a political solution to its long-running dispute with the opposition. Ukraine’s foreign ministry quickly reacted to these statements by calling in Berlin's ambassador to Kyiv, saying later in a statement: "It was emphasised that there was a need for an objective assessment of the development of the internal political processes of the situation in our state and that provocative statements should be avoided." Vitali Klitschko was quoted as saying on the 5 February 2014 that he EU was ready to delegate high-level representatives to act as mediators in talks between the opposition and the authorities in Ukraine. Štefan Füle, the Enlargement and Neighbourhood Commissioner told the European Parliament on that same day that the EU’s role in Ukraine was to facilitate dialogue and avoid ‘worst-case scenarios’, including a state of emergency. |
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| Source Link | http://euobserver.com/foreign/122969 |
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| Subject Categories | Security and Defence |
| Countries / Regions | Europe, Russia, Ukraine |
