Brussels: The head of the European Union executive, Jose Manuel Barroso, warned Ukraine of "possible" reprisals after the deaths of pro-EU protesters today but stopped short of announcing sanctions.
"We are shocked... And deplore in the strongest possible terms the use of force and violence," Barroso said, squarely laying responsibility "to de-escalate this crisis" on the Ukrainian authorities.
"We... Will continue following closely these developments, as well as assessing possible actions by the EU and consequences for our relations," the president of the European Commission told a news conference.
Asked to elaborate on potential retaliation, Barroso said it was "premature" to decide on a course of action which would need to be approved by all 28 member states.
The United States announced it had revoked the visas of several Ukrainian nationals linked to violence against protesters late last year, and said it was considering "further action" over the current clashes.
Several people were reported killed by gunshot after a day of intense clashes between pro-EU protesters and security forces.
Today`s deaths were the first fatalities in two months of massive protests in Kiev over President Viktor Yanukovych`s sudden refusal to sign a political and economic association pact with the EU in November after pressure from Moscow.
As anger mounted across Europe -- with French President Francois Hollande voicing "concern" and Britain`s Europe Minister David Lidington demanding that Yanukoych "match his commitment to democratic norms and values with action" -- diplomats said talks on Ukraine were likely in Brussels tomorrow.
The EU for years has reached out to former Soviet satellites under its Eastern Partnership policy, which includes billions of euros in projects and grants, And one EU source suggested a means of action would be to trim or freeze such funds to Ukraine.
