Czech Foreign Minister urges EU to consider sanctions on Ukraine

Addressing a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek said the European Union must be ready to impose sanctions on Ukraine if President Yanukovych persists in using brute force against political opponents. The Czech Foreign Minister said it was unacceptable to see human rights being blatantly violated on the borders of the European Union and stressed it was essential to take action before the situation got totally out of control. He said the Soviet-style authoritarian rule implemented by President Yanukovych was close to what his own country had experienced in the past and urged the EU to use all tools at its disposal to bring the crisis to an end. Sanctions on Ukraine have become a point of divergence between the EU and the United States which is in favour of tougher action.