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Petro Poroshenko AP/Press Association Images

EU calls on Russia to work with new Ukraine president

The EU has applied visa bans and asset freezes to a series of high-profile Russian and Ukrainian figures.

EU LEADERS URGED Russia to work with new Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko and to continue withdrawing its troops from the country’s border.

“We expect (Russia) to cooperate with the newly elected and legitimate president,” said a draft EU summit statement seen by AFP.

Russia should likewise “continue the withdrawal of armed forces from the Ukrainian border and use its leverage on the armed separatists to de-escalate the situation” in the east, it said.

European Union leaders were meeting in Brussels to discuss the outcome of European Parliament elections but had also put Ukraine, where Poroshenko won the vote Sunday, on the agenda.

The EU has applied visa bans and asset freezes to a series of high-profile Russian and Ukrainian figures judged to have helped in Moscow’s annexation of Crimea or stoked separatist violence in eastern Ukraine.

The draft statement noted that preparatory work on further sanctions was being carried out so that they would be ready “should events so require”.

Poroshenko said yesterday that the military would press its offensive against the insurgents who now control about a dozen cities and towns in the east.

At the same time, the 48-year-old pro-Western chocolate tycoon said he was ready to engage with the Russian leadership and was optimistic a meeting with President Vladimir Putin could be arranged soon.

The EU leaders also pressed on Poroshenko the need to make all efforts on his side to ease the conflict and to continue to adopt economic and political reforms to bring Ukraine up to European standards.

Former Ukraine president Viktor Yukanovych ditched an EU association accord in November under intense Russia pressure but Brussels has since extended many of its provisions to the government in Kiev.

- © AFP, 2014

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    Mute Aishling Keogh
    Favourite Aishling Keogh
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    Aug 21st 2012, 4:05 PM

    Niall have some empathy for this mans family, he suffered a horrific death, RIP, my thoughts are with his family at this sad time :(

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
    Favourite Joan Featherstone
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    Aug 21st 2012, 8:39 PM

    Sorry ‘bad’ taste!

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    Mute Michael Stamp
    Favourite Michael Stamp
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    Aug 21st 2012, 9:45 AM

    A surreal and terrible way to die.

    38
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    Mute Lorraine Furlong
    Favourite Lorraine Furlong
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    Aug 21st 2012, 10:13 AM

    Pure Evil , Rip . . . :-(

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    Mute Sean Quigley
    Favourite Sean Quigley
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    Aug 21st 2012, 7:44 PM

    sorry man dont get it!! how can she be released and detained at the same time??

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    Mute Edward Carr
    Favourite Edward Carr
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    Aug 21st 2012, 7:50 PM

    Is that necessary Niall?rip walter

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    Mute pip white
    Favourite pip white
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    Aug 21st 2012, 7:45 PM

    It is awful. but his daughter told the newspapers all about it. Is that not worse!

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
    Favourite Joan Featherstone
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    Aug 21st 2012, 8:39 PM

    Niall, Love a laugh, but that remark was really really taste!

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    Mute Niall
    Favourite Niall
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 1:16 AM

    They removed my comment! :( now that’s censorship! All of you hop off your bloody morality pedestal and realise this mans death is no more or less significant than any other death that is regularly joked about!

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    Mute Emma louise coffey
    Favourite Emma louise coffey
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 2:10 AM

    Strangely enough most people don’t find the death of a person funny… you idiot Neil!

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    Mute Michael Stamp
    Favourite Michael Stamp
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 9:52 AM

    Have to agree with Niall. . .There must be respect for the family but it IS an unusual story and one which if it happened abroad would be joked about. The “pure evil” comment is really funny, though. Down with this sort of thing!

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