EU condemns police use of force against Kiev protesters

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday condemned the actions of Ukrainian police on Tuesday night against protestors from the city hall in Kiev and urged the authorities to stop violent actions.

“Last night’s events in the Independence Square in Kiev have shown the conscious choice that the Ukrainian authorities appear to have taken against the European path, the choice which is opposite to what the President of Ukraine has been saying publicly,” said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius.

Lithuania holds the current EU Presidency.

“The actions of the police against peaceful protesters show not only disrespect to these values; freedom of expression and right to peaceful assembly, but also complete lack of will to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the representatives of the civil society and the opposition who have a clear vision for the European future,” Linkevicius said.

“The authorities have also shown publicly that they ignore the calls of the EU and US representatives, now visiting Kiev, not to take any further steps which would aggravate the situation,” he added.

“We are impressed by the peaceful expression and strong spirit that we have seen in the Independence Square and trust that the European aspirations of the Ukrainian citizens will be fulfilled,” Linkevicius concluded.