Mr. Yanukovych considers leaving, EU freezes assets

Russian website “Topwar.ru” quoted a source saying that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych had just had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to ask for guarantees in case he had to leave Ukraine.

According to the source, Mr. Putin did not give a clear answer to Mr. Yanukovych's proposal.

The capital Kiev has become a real battlefield between protesters and police. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN)

Meanwhile, in Sochi on February 20, President Putin held a closed-door meeting on the situation in Ukraine and decided to continue monitoring the situation. It is known that Russia has also decided not to provide a second aid package to Ukraine within the framework of the signed agreement.

On the same day, Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino announced that the European Union (EU) on February 20 agreed to impose travel bans and asset freezes on Ukrainians “with blood on their hands.”

However, an EU diplomat said the number of people to be listed “will depend on developments on the ground” and insisted there was a political commitment to the sanctions agreed by EU foreign ministers. Bonino added that EU countries had also agreed to provide medical aid and visas to the injured and dissidents.

The decision to impose sanctions was made in agreement with three EU envoys currently in Kiev, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland, who also held several hours-long meetings with President Viktor Yanukovych and three key opposition leaders.

The EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels also agreed to suspend the export of anti-riot equipment, officials added./.

According to VNA