Ukraine: EPP calls for immediate stop to violence or sanctions will be on the table

Commenting on the latest developments in the Ukraine, the President of the EPP Party and Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Joseph Daul, said:

“First of all, we express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the violence in the Ukraine.

The use of violence currently going on in the Ukraine is unacceptable. We call for the murderous snipers, the Berkut and the armed forces of the Ministry of the Interior to be removed from the streets. The army should refuse to take any part in the oppression.

We call for the urgent convening of the UN Security Council on the situation in the Ukraine.

The draconic laws passed on 16 January 2014 should not be implemented, but rather withdrawn and declared null and void. These laws are problematic not only due to the procedure in which they were passed and therefore a new procedure would not help, but because the content of the laws is undemocratic.

It is clear that it is President Yanukovych, his administration and those who voted for these laws in the Parliament that carry the responsibility for the deaths and casualties in the Ukraine.

We call on the EU Institutions and the relevant national governments of the EU Member States to identify and apply all appropriate measures and instruments, including the introduction of personalised targeted measures and sanctions on travelling and freezing assets and property of those Ukrainian officials, legislators and their business sponsors (oligarchs) who are responsible for a large-scale massive violation of human rights and of the rule of law, repression against peaceful citizens, deaths of citizens, as well as the introduction of draconian laws violating the international obligations of the Ukrainian State.

Russia carries responsibility for the course of developments in the Ukraine. We thus call on Russia to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of the Ukraine, applying political and economic coercion in breach of the Helsinki Final Act and the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Ukraine's security assurances. Failing to use its influence will certainly have an impact on the Sochi Olympic Games.”