Kerry hints at sanctions as Ukraine toll climbs

KIEV, Ukraine — Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that U.S. sanctions against Ukraine are possible as thousands of riot police and protesters again massed in the country’s capital after the bloodiest day of violence in the tug of war between Russia and the West.

The White House first threatened to impose sanctions against Ukraine more than two months ago in the early days of the crisis that has torn the country apart.

Chaos reigned again Wednesday as black smoke rose above Kiev and police stun grenades thundered as officers sought to push demonstrators away from Independence Square, the epicenter of the turmoil.

Thousands of activists armed with fire bombs and rocks stood firm, setting up a repeat of the deadly violence that engulfed the square a day earlier.

At least 26 people were killed in Kiev on Tuesday — including 10 police officers — and hundreds were hospitalized in what was Ukraine’s deadliest day since since winning independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

The country’s interim prime minister went as far as to describe the clashes as an attempted coup.

“This was not a demonstration of democracy … It is the manipulation of people’s minds and an attempt to seize power by force,” interim Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov told a government meeting watched by The Associated Press on Wednesday morning.

The country’s leading security agency said Wednesday that demonstrators had seized over 1,500 firearms, prompting a nationwide “anti-terrorist” operation to restore order.

In a statement, Ukraine’s Security Service said that such alleged actions by “radical and extremist groups” endanger the lives of millions of Ukrainians caught in the crossfire.

But European Union leaders called an emergency meeting to consider sanctions after what they called an “excessive use of force.” The European Investment Bank added that it would be freezing its activities in the country.

Parts of the city have been in a state of near paralysis since November after President Viktor Yanukovich ditched a deal with the European Union and struck a loan scheme with Russia to float its ailing economy.

Protests began peacefully last year but have been increasingly characterized by smaller, more extreme elements – many aligned with the far-right – who have clashed with riot police.

While the demonstrations started as a rejection of the Russia-leaning government policies, protesters said they now seek to “oust a corrupt and brutal regime,” according to a post by the opposition-run “Euromaidan” Facebook group on Wednesday morning.

Tuesday’s violence shattered weeks of relative calm in the capital and was sparked by Russia’s announcement it was ready to resume its loan package to the Ukraine. Some in the opposition saw this as an indication that the two countries had struck a deal and that the government was intent on standing firm against the protesters.

The unrest has also spread to other parts of the country. In the central city of Khmelnitsky, YouTube video appeared to capture a scene of protesters laying siege to a police station before shots scattered the crowd. In the aftermath, a woman is shown lying on the sidewalk, blood pouring from a head wound.

In the western city of Lviv protesters seized government buildings, police stations and the tax agency headquarters, The Associated Press reported.

Polish border guards also said protesters were blocking access to one of its crossings with Ukraine. Amateur video footage also showed people storming a regional administrative building in Uzhgorod, a city near the Slovakian border.

The European Union said it was preparing targeted sanctions against those responsible for the violence.

“We have … made it clear that the EU will respond to any deterioration on the ground,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement. “We therefore expect that targeted measures against those responsible for violence and use of excessive force can be agreed by our member states as a matter of urgency.”

SERGEI SUPINSKY

Anti-government protesters protect themselves behind shields as they clash with the police on Independence Square in Kiev early on Wednesday.

Demonstrators torched vehicles and buildings, and threw stones and Molotov cocktails. Authorities responded with rubber bullets and smoke grenades, often while singing the Ukrainian national anthem, The Associated Press reported.

Having given the protesters an ultimatum to clear the streets, security forces descended on the city’s Independence Square – the iconic center of the protest movement known as the “Euromadian” – parts of which were still ablaze Wednesday morning.

Around half of the 20,000 demonstrators who flooded the streets on Tuesday heeded the call of former world champion boxer turned opposition leader Vitali Klitschko to stand their ground.

Klitschko returned to the square afterward and urged the protesters to defend the camp.

“We will not go anywhere from here,” Klitschko told the crowd. “This is an island of freedom and we will defend it,” he said.

“I am not going to sit and wait while they kill me,” said one protester, 32-year-old Anton Rybkovich. “I’m going to attack. The more force the government uses, the more harsh our response will be.”

In a statement Wednesday, President Yanukovich maintained his call for a peaceful resolution to the stand-off instead of violence.

“I am totally against a heavy-handed approach and the more so against bloodshed,” Yanukovich said. “I once again call the leaders of the opposition, who claim that they aim for a peace settlement, to separate themselves from the radical forces which provoke bloodshed and clashes with law enforcement services.”

Vice President Joe Biden called Yanukovich on Tuesday, urging him to pull back government forces and exercise maximum restraint, the White House said. In Paris, Secretary of State John Kerry issued a statement condemning the violence and urging the Ukrainian government and protesters to take steps to de-escalate the situation through dialogue.

Maria Stromova of NBC News contributed to this report from Moscow. Alexander Smith reported from London.

First published February 19 2014, 2:45 AM

Kerry hints at sanctions as Ukraine toll climbs