EU and U.S. leaders on Friday urged Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s president, not to sign anti-protest legislation controversially rammed through a chaotic parliament the day before, paving the way for a crackdown on anti-government protesters .
Stefan Fuele, EU Enlargement Commissioner, said in a statement he was “profoundly concerned by new legislation limiting freedoms, contradicting Ukraine’s European aspirations and commitments.”
In a tweet, Carl Bildt, Sweden’s foreign minister, called upon EU foreign ministers to discuss the “alarming developments in Ukraine” in Brussels on Monday.
“There can be no business as usual with Kiev,” he said.
The U.S. Department of State in a statement said the legislation “cast serious doubt on Ukraine’s commitment to democratic norms.” It further called upon Kiev to “ensure … legislation reflects Ukraine’s democratic commitments to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the wishes of its people to exercise their fundamental freedoms of speech, assembly, and association.”
The U.S.-based democracy watchdog Freedom House, warned the proposed legislation, which criminalises libel, imposes Russian-style “foreign agent” restrictions on civil society groups receiving foreign funding, and punishes civic participation in protests, “offered a glimpse of the dark times awaiting Ukraine.”
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