EU ministers to consider action if violence continues

EU foreign ministers, including Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, are expected to agree to action such as visa bans, assets freezes and possibly weapons bans when they meet in emergency session on Ukraine today.

They will be briefed by the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Poland and the EU’s High Representative Catherine Ashton who hope to have talks with the president Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders this morning.

Earlier German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Francois Hollande after their annual cabinet meeting in Paris indicated their support for sanctions with Ms Merkel saying sanctions were not enough and they must not hit the civilian population.