Prominent Europeans call for action on Ukraine

Shocked by the bloody crackdown in Ukraine in the past 24 hours, over 30 European political leaders and opinion-makers called today for swift action by the EU in support of European-minded Ukrainians. 

We are shocked by the bloody crackdown by the Ukrainian regime in the last 24 hours. At the February Foreign Affairs Council, the EU expressed its deep concern with the continuing political crisis in Ukraine and pledged to “respond quickly to any deterioration on the ground”. Today, with people dying on the streets of Kiev as a result of the unwillingness of the Ukrainian authorities under President Viktor Yanukovych to seek political dialogue, it is time for the EU to back its words with concrete measures. Ukraine must not be left alone in this crisis, which has led it to the brink of civil war.

We call on the EU institutions and member states to take action against those in the Yanukovych regime involved in perpetrating or sanctioning repression or violence. All EU member states should make full use of their powers to make sure that Ukrainians holding assets abroad are in full compliance with local laws and financial regulations. The extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council that will be convened by High Representative Catherine Ashton tomorrow should decide to take targeted action against members of the regime, including visa bans and asset freezes. We must stand by the people of Ukraine who want to keep alive the prospect of a European future for their children.

Massimo D’AlemaFormer Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Italy, President of the Italianieuropei Foundation

José M de AreilzaProfessor of Law, ESADE

Gordon Bajnai – Former Prime Minister of Hungary

Stine BosseChairman and Non-Executive Board Member

Erhard BusekChairman of the Institute for the Danube and Central Europe

Gunilla CarlssonFormer Minister for International Development Cooperation, Sweden

Daniel DaianuFormer Finance Minister, Romania

Aleš DebeljakProfessor and Chair of Cultural Studies, University of Ljubljana

Mikulas DzurindaFormer Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia

Hans Eichel – Former Finance Minister, Germany

Joschka Fischer – Former Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor, Germany

Karin Forseke – Director

Lykke FriisPro-Rector, University of Copenhagen; former Minister for Climate, Energy and Gender Equality

Timothy Garton AshProfessor of European Studies, University of Oxford

Carlos GasparChairman of the Portuguese Institute of International Relations 

Teresa GouveiaFormer Foreign Minister of Portugal

Heather GrabbeExecutive Director, Open Society Institute, Brussels

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg – Former German Minister of Defense & Minister of Economics and Technology

Istvan Gyarmati – Ambassador, President International Centre for Democratic Transition

Heidi HautalaFormer Minister for International Development, Finland

Sasha Havlicek – CEO & Director, Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Diego HidalgoPresident, FRIDE

Mary KaldorProfessor, London School of Economics

David KoranyiDeputy Director, Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center of the Atlantic Council of the United States

Ivan KrastevChair of Board, Centre for Liberal Strategies

Sonia LichtPresident, Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence

Nickolay MladenovFormer Foreign Minister of Bulgaria

Dominique MoïsiSenior Adviser, French Institute for International Affairs

Kalypso NicolaidisProfessor of International Relations, University of Oxford

Andrés OrtegaAuthor & journalist; former Director of Policy Planning, Office of the Spanish Prime Minister

Ruprecht PolenzFormer Chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee

Albert RohanFormer Secretary General of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Daniel SachsCEO, Proventus

Aleksander SmolarChairman of the Board of the Stefan Batory Foundation 

Ion SturzaFormer Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova 

Nathalie TocciDeputy Director, Istituto Affari Internazionali

Antonio VitorinoPresident, Notre Europe and former EU Commissioner

Andre WilkensDirector Mercator Centre Berlin and Director Strategy, Stiftung Mercator

Karla WursterovaExecutive Director, International Visegrad Fund

 

Please note: The signatories have endorsed this statement in a personal capacity

Read the statement in French, GermanItalian,  PolishSpanish and Bulgarian

The European Council on Foreign Relations does not take collective positions. ECFR publications only represent the views of their individual authors.

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