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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 Thoughtoffense
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    Jul 26th 2015, 11:47 AM

    Ireland’s fastest growing demographic at work..

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    Mute scott griffin
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    Jul 26th 2015, 11:34 AM

    Maybe just a “dope” took the wrong turn.

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    Mute Everett Gold
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    Jul 26th 2015, 11:52 AM

    Must have been out of their heads on drugs . A bit like the cyclists taking part

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    Mute Infidel
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    Jul 26th 2015, 11:59 AM

    What a joke of a sport all up to their eyeballs in stuff.

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    Mute Dick Byrne
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    Jul 26th 2015, 11:50 AM

    Clarke Griswold on vacation.

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    Mute Pat O' Brien
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    Jul 26th 2015, 11:49 AM

    Very poignant

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    Mute stephen
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    Jul 26th 2015, 12:57 PM

    What was she thinking

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    Mute Alan Corlett
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    Jul 26th 2015, 2:33 PM

    Now you know why I don’t trust SatNav

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    Mute Greg O'Riordan
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    Jul 26th 2015, 11:59 AM

    11am (9am GMT) ??

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    Mute Fearghal O Hanlon
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    Jul 26th 2015, 3:05 PM

    9am GMT is 10am Irish Summer Time which is 11am in Paris

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    Mute Anthony Lang
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    Jul 26th 2015, 11:52 AM

    I thought that this was a major security incident. It seems trivial and an indication of how terrorism can make ordinary events look sinister and threatening.

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    Mute Daithi O'Leary
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    Jul 26th 2015, 12:16 PM

    Viva l’armstrong

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    Mute Martin O' Neill
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    Jul 26th 2015, 2:27 PM

    Probably that idiot Kimmage…..!

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