You're reading: Klitschko: Authorities estranging Ukraine from EU with their actions

Any sanctions that could be applied by the international community against Ukraine for the political persecution of the opposition should be directed against individual politicians and officials, and not against the whole state, UDAR Party Leader Vitaliy Klitschko has said.

"I visited Western Europe and the United States recently to hold working meetings with many influential politicians. I heard the work ‘sanctions’ from many of them. It’s not a secret that many international activists and experts are inclined to apply such a mechanism of influence to the Ukrainian authorities today. But I’m sure that ordinary Ukrainian citizens should not be affected by such sanctions. If they apply sanctions, they should affect not all Ukrainians, but individual politicians and officials – those who are guilty of creating this situation in the state," Klitschko said in an interview aired by the Era FM radio station, when asked about possible sanctions the West could introduce against Ukraine.

According to the press service of the UDAR Party, the politician stressed that he does not want Ukraine to become an internationally isolated country like Belarus.

"I know that our partners abroad are really concerned about the fact that Ukraine keeps rejecting democratic principles. Because we declare one thing, while doing the other. It is obvious for everyone that if we dream of European standards of life, then we have to observe European principles and respect European values," the party leader said.

"We choose European integration. We are sure that Ukraine belongs to Europe geographically, historically and mentally. But with its actions against the opposition, the Ukrainian authorities are estranging us from Europe,"Klitschko said.