Obama warns Ukraine over violence

US President Barack Obama has warned Ukrainian government of “consequences” if it continues using violence against the peaceful protesters.

“We hold the Ukrainian government primarily responsible for making sure that it is dealing with peaceful protesters in an appropriate way, that the Ukrainian people are able to assemble and speak freely about their interests without fear of repression,” Obama said.

“I want to be very clear as we work through these next several days in Ukraine that we’re going to be watching closely and we expect the Ukrainian government to show restraint, to not resort to violence in dealing with peaceful protesters,” he said.

The European Union meanwhile is considering sanctions against Ukraine following the deadly clashes between police and anti-government protesters in Kiev. 26 people have been killed in Tuesday’s violence against Yanukovych government.

“My government and Vice President (Joe) Biden and I personally have expressed to President Yanukovych the need for him to recognize the spirit of the Ukrainian people and work with that, as opposed to trying to repress them,” Obama said.

“We’ll be monitoring very closely the situation, recognizing that with our European partners and the international community, there will be consequences if people step over the line,” he added.

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