The European Union mulled an arms embargo and sanctions on Ukraine at crisis talks in Brussels today as three EU envoys met the country's embattled leader in Kiev.
In a last-minute change of plan, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland -- Laurent Fabius, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Radoslaw Sikorski -- stayed on in Kiev for fresh talks with opposition leaders rather than flying to Brussels to join their colleagues.
Diplomats told AFP that the three ministers, whose report on events in Kiev was keenly awaited by the their 25 European Union counterparts, would communicate by phone or video link.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who convened the bloc's top diplomats for the crisis meeting, said she had spoken to the three and would brief the meeting.
Fabius said in a Tweet that "after five hours of talks with Viktor Yanokovych we are again going to meet the three leaders of the opposition."
Also on Twitter, Sikorski said talks with the opposition were "so as to test proposed agreement."
Stepping into the Brussels talks, British Foreign Secretary William Hague described the escalating violence in Kiev as "utterly unacceptable and indefensible".
"Helping to stop the violence is the immediate priority," he said. "There has to be an international response. That is why we will be discussing sanctions and measures."
At least 60 protesters died from gunshot wounds in fresh clashes today between thousands of demonstrators and heavily-armed riot police, according to an opposition medic, the deadliest day since protests against Yanukovych erupted three months ago.
The EU ministers were discussing possible sanctions against those held responsible for the bloodshed but Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said: "I think that in addition it would be good to decide an arms embargo to give a clear political sign."
A draft statement seen by AFP that is to be finalised by the foreign ministers says the EU "is gravely concerned about the deteriorating situation in Ukraine".
