EU Ministers Back Ukraine Protesters

(Vatican Radio) Several European officials, including Germany's foreign minister, have met Ukrainian opposition leaders and protesters in the capital Kyiv. The talks were seen

as a snub to President Viktor Yanukovich, who triggered mass street demonstrations by refusing to sign a key EU trade deal and seeking closer ties with neighboring Russia.


German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle arrived in Kyiv to send a strong message to Ukraine's leadership.


The minister walked with two Ukrainian opposition leaders, including former economy minister Arseny Yatsenyuk and boxing-champion-turned-politician Vitaly Klitscho – to a protest camp

in Kyiv's Independence Square.

His visit came as a major boost for thousands of people who have been demonstrating for two weeks, angry at the Ukrainian government’s decision to freeze ties with the European Union and get closer to Russia.

Westerwelle arrived ahead of a meeting in Kyiv of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). He told reporters he wanted to make clear that Ukraine has Europe's support.


EUROPEANS TO EUROPEANS

"We came to Europeans as Europeans. We are not indifferent about the fate of Ukraine," he said standing next to the two opposition leaders.


He added that "the door to Europe remains open for Ukraine" and said country "should be on board with Europe."


Westerwelle said Ukraine shares "the same values" as the EU and Germany, "including culturally and historically." He added that visiting the opposition "was a good start" of his visit to Kyiv.

Other officials, such as Dutch Foreign Minister Hans Timmermans, also met protesters at a time when Western pressure mounts on Ukraine's government not to use force against peaceful

demonstrators.


RUSSIA ANGRY

Yet, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, visiting Brussels, accused ministers of the NATO military alliance of portraying in his words a "distorted picture" of events in Ukraine.


He said Kyiv had a "sovereign right to ratify or not ratify a document," referring to the European Union Association Agreement.


Lavrov reacted to NATO's condemnation on Tuesday of last weekend's Ukrainian police crackdown on pro-EU demonstrators in Kyiv in which dozens were injured.

There have also been protests against the detention of at least nine demonstrators.


Listen to the report by correspondent Stefan Bos: