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US considers sanctions on Ukraine

Xinhua, December 12, 2013

• The United States was considering sanctions on Ukraine in response to its curbing of protests against the Ukrainian government's decision not to sign an association agreement with the European Union (EU), the State Department said Wednesday.

  "All policy options, including sanctions, are on the table in our view, but obviously that still is being evaluated," spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki told reporters at a regular press briefing.

  "I'm not going to get into specifics of that," she added. "We' re considering policy options. There obviously hasn't been a decision made."

  Kiev, the national capital of Ukraine, has seen weeks of mass protests since the announcement of a decision by President Viktor Yanukovych on Nov. 21 to suspend signing political and trade deals with the EU, a path to eventual EU membership, in favor of keeping closer ties with Russia instead.

  The attempt of riot police to clear and retake Kiev's Independence Square overnight set off a strong response from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who said the U.S. expressed its " disgust" with the move.

  "The United States was appalled last night by what happened in Kiev," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. "The Ukrainian government's response to peaceful protests over the last two weeks has been completely unacceptable."

  Ukraine still has a chance to "save its European future," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland told reporters after a two-hour meeting with Yanukovych Wednesday.

  "Listening to the voices of the people in Ukraine is something we feel is important," Psaki said. "This was a case where Ukraine was deciding between two paths."

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