The Slovak government expressed its deep concern over violence that erupted in the streets of Kiev, which resulted in many casualties and hundreds of injuries. These were the bloodiest clashes since the outbreak of demonstrations against President Viktor Yanukovych.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajčák informed the Cabinet session on Wednesday about the escalating situation. Member states of the European Union should adopt targeted measures against individuals responsible for violence in Ukraine, stated Foreign Minister Lajčák calling for freezing of bank accounts of certain representatives and creating a visa blacklist on which they would put people who are responsible for the deaths of protesters. “Let’s ban their entry to the EU; I cannot imagine that we could do anything less than this,” stated Lajčák. He furthermore criticized the government of President Yanukovych of not being interested in real discussion with a part of his nation, adding that if anyone feels that all the Rubicons have not yet been passed, after Tuesday night no one has such illusions. The Slovak opposition party SDKU also expressed concern about the escalating situation in Ukraine. The party calls on the Ukrainian government to return to the negotiating table with the opposition and to respect the right of assembly of its citizens. “It is in our interest that the question of Ukraine became the focus of European policy,” stated Ivan Stefanec of SDKU. On Thursday, EU foreign ministers are to deal with the situation in Ukraine. At the meeting Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Lajčák would like to advocate sanctions aimed at specific individuals, rather than at the entire Ukraine.
