Ukraine: EU envoy Ashton meets president, opposition leaders
(Vatican Radio) European Union envoy Catherine Ashton has met Ukraine's president
and the opposition in an attempt to end growing tensions over the former Soviet nation's
European future. Her visit came while President Viktor Yanukovych urged the nation
to remain calm amid growing protests against his rule. Listen:
"I am sorry
to have kept you waiting," said EU foreign policy chief Ashton, who was eager to
meet
Ukrainian opposition leaders, including former boxing champion Vitali Klitschko.
She
also walked through an enthusiastic crowd.
Braving winter weather, thousands
of Ukrainians are gathering in Kyiv's Independence Square to demand the resignation
of President Yanukovich and his government.
They are wondering why Yanukovych
ditched a trade deal with the European Union in favour of closer ties with Russia.
Speaking
earlier on television with three former presidents, Yanukovych tried to explain that
Ukraine was in the middle of two fires.
“I am strongly against opposing
relations with Europe in favour of relations with Russia and vice versa," sitting
at a small round table with fellow former leaders.
"We need to find a way
to co-exist. I think Europe will sleep peacefully in warmth if Ukraine has good relations
with Russia, if there aren’t any conflicts like when the natural gas was turned off,”
he said.
The EU's Ashton has been trying to mediate in the conflict.
Pro-EU
protesters, who have been camped in Independence Square for over two weeks, don't
want to give up their demonstrations despite the freezing cold.