You're reading: European Commission: Barroso talks on phone with Yanukovych

 President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso spoke on Wednesday on the phone with  Yanukovych.

 During the conversation, Barroso expressed his “shock and dismay with the recent clashes in Ukraine which led to the death and injury of a number of people,” the European Commission reported in Brussels on Wednesday.

“He called for an immediate end to the violence and firmly condemned the use of force to solve the political crisis. He recalled the special responsibility of the Ukrainian government to avoid violence and respect human rights and fundamental freedoms,”- reads the statement.

The European Commission president stressed the importance of all participants committing to a political process “without pre-conditions in a spirit of shared responsibility.”

“He referred to the fact that while the EU remains ready to assist and facilitate this process it will react firmly to the deterioration of the situation. The Foreign Affairs Council will meet tomorrow with Yanukovych to discuss targeted measures against those responsible for the violence,” said  Barroso.