Foreign minister warns against sidelining Ukraine

Foreign affairs minister George Vella argued that the sanctions imposed on Ukranian officials should only target individuals involved in the violence, and not towards Ukraine, warning against the collateral effect that such restrictive measures could have in further distancing Ukraine from the European Union.

Vella was attending an EU Foreign Affairs Council Meeting which was urgently convened to discuss the worsening developments in Ukraine.

The EU had until now refrained from imposing sanctions, preferring to emphasise dialogue and compromise, however yesterday ministers said targeted sanctions including asset freezes and visa bans would be introduced "as a matter of urgency".

This followed the deadly clashes in Kiev on Thursday. In all, 75 people - including policemen - have been killed since Tuesday.

Addressing the Council, Vella described the situation as "alarming" and regretted the violence and the deaths that resulted from the latest stand-off between government forces and the opposition.

Referring to the risks that the latest events placed on the territorial integrity of the country, Vella underlined the need for an immediate cessation of the escalating violence between government forces and the protestors.

On a positive note, Vella welcomed the fact that three EU Foreign Ministers, those of Poland, France and Germany were in Ukraine for talks with President Yanukovych.

He also agreed with the proposal, like all other Ministers had, to involve the Council of Europe and the OSCE in cooperating towards finding a solution to the crisis.

Vella argued that the sanctions should only target individuals involved in the violence, and not towards Ukraine, warning against the collateral effect that such restrictive measures could have in further distancing Ukraine from the European Union.

The Council agreed to task a working party to make the necessary preparations for the targeted restrictive measures, including an asset freeze and visa ban and that the scale of implementation of these measures would be taken forward in the light of developments in the talks being undertaken by the EU and President Yanukovych.

EU Foreign Ministers also agreed that they did not want to give the impression that a solution to the political crisis lay only in external punitive actions and expressed their commitment to enhance people to people contacts between the EU and Ukraine.