White House considering sanctions against Ukraine as violence intensifies

Protests in Ukraine turn deadly, with 2 dead amid clashes with police: http://t.co/u9fiDqrK1x (Getty) pic.twitter.com/uLSreBzZH0

— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 22, 2014

The White House will consider issuing sanctions against Ukraine in response to violence against protesters.

The White House announced Thursday that it will consider issuing sanctions against Ukraine in response to recent violence against protesters.

Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters, “We are deeply concerned by the violence” and said the protests are a direct result of the “refusal of Ukrainian government to listen to and take seriously the grievances of the Ukrainian people.”

Tens of thousands of protesters have swarmed the capital city of Kiev for two months, following President Viktor Yanukovych’s refusal to sign a free trade agreement with the European Union. Yanukovych was under pressure from Russia’s president Vladimir Putin to sever ties with the EU.

The protests turned violent this week as anti-demonstration legislation took effect and Ukrainian police attempted to break down the barracades.

Amazing photo this morning of a #Kiev woman striking police w/ crucifix (via @GettyImages) | http://t.co/SkqTw9xlBc pic.twitter.com/qbQ4eO6cWw

— Vaughn Wallace (@vaughnwallace) January 23, 2014

Wednesday at least two protesters were killed by police. After the deaths, the opposition issued the president an ultimatum: resign, call for early elections, and repeal the anti-demonstration legislation, or face an even more intense and emboldened opposition. The opposition leaders called on protesters to refrain from violence for the next 24 hours, giving Yanukovych until Thursday evening to concede.

Asenyi Yatsenyuk, an opposition leader, told the protesters Wednesday that if the president did not accept those demands, “we will go forward together. And if it’s a bullet in the forehead, then it’s a bullet in the forehead, but in an honest, fair and brave way.”

As the Thursday deadline approached, protests spilled into the the Western city of Lviv as hundreds of people descended upon the governor’s office, forcing him to resign. The governor later rescinded his resignation.

Thursday President Yanukovych called for an emergency session of parliament to begin next week. Reuter’s Richard Balmforth and Pavel Polityuk reported that the emergency session could be “a sign (Yanukovich) might be ready to soften his hardline stance and strike a compromise.

However, the same day Ukraine’s Prime Minister Mykola Azarov took a harsh stance against the opposition, reportedly saying, “A genuine attempt at a coup d’etat is being carried out.” Azarov also told Reuters that while the government does not plan on declaring a state of emergency, “People should not think that the government lacks available resources to put an end to this. It is our constitutional right and obligation to restore order in the country.”

H/T Bridget Bowman