EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton has touched the issue of political crisis in Ukraine at a meeting of the UN Security Council, expressing hope that a negotiated way out of the current political crisis can be found soon.
Speaking at the UN Security Council on the cooperation between the EU and the UN on international peace and security in New York Ashton said that “there are many other issues of concern to the European Union” which may not be on top of the UN Security Council’s agenda.
“At the moment we are worried about the situation in our own neighborhood, especially Ukraine and Egypt. We feel a special responsibility to help these countries find a way out of their current difficulties,” she said.
“I have been to Ukraine 3 times in the last 2 months and have seen people who have been standing on the streets of Kiev for the last 85 days, in support of the country’s modernization and progress. I commend the peaceful nature of the demonstrations; and I condemn strongly the expressions of violence that have occurred and continue to occur in the country. Those who have committed violence need to be brought to justice. Those who carry the responsibility to protect the Ukrainian people’s rights to free speech and assembly need to ensure that these rights are safeguarded, in compliance with Ukraine’s own international commitments,” she said.
“We hope that a negotiated way out of the current political crisis can be found soon, the elements for that are in place. We stand ready to work with all parties within Ukraine and with the relevant international organizations to facilitate a solution. However, this has to be a Ukrainian owned and a Ukrainian led process,” Ashton said.
