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o-UKRAINE-facebookEuropean Union foreign ministers are due to meet on 3 March in Brussels for emergency talks on the situation in Ukraine, the second such meeting in less than two weeks.

They first met for emergency talks on 20 February, when they imposed sanctions on members of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's  regime deemed responsible for deaths and repression in Kiev. Ukraine's parliament ousted Yanukovych on 22 February.

The announcement of the new crisis meeting came as Russian President Vladimir Putin won approval from parliament's upper house to use Russian troops in Ukraine and Kiev accused Moscow of sending thousands of soldiers into Crimea.

"Ashton calls extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council on developments in Ukraine. Monday, 3 March. Meeting starts 13h CET," the EU foreign policy chief said on Twitter.

The Kremlin said President Putin had not yet decided to deploy the troops but Ukrainian leaders suggested a "national mobilization" and the UN Security Council called emergency talks.

"We must push all sides in Ukraine to sit around a table and stop this escalation," said Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders.

"We mustn't forget the Caucasus was a powder-keg in the past. That's why Europe must speak with a single voice and put an end to the blundering."

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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged unity, saying the EU needed to give a "clear signal" that no act of aggression would be tolerated.

Tusk said that not everyone in the European Union had "realized the gravity of the situation and the risks that Europe and this region are facing".

Sweden's Foreign Minister said on Twitter that the situation was the "worst European crisis since a long time back. We need a strong EU in an unstable Europe."

Following the meeting, Catherine Ashton is to travel to Kiev on 5 March as the EU continues to work to put together some kind of assistance package for the new government. She had originally planned her Kiev visit for Monday.

On Thursday, the EU foreign policy chief is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

On 28 February, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the latest developments.

Ukraine’s new pro-EU government reportedly wants to sign its Association Agreement with the EU at the 20-21 March summit of EU leaders.

An association agreement between the EU and Ukraine was initialled in March 2012 and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) was also agreed. The EU had ambitions to sign those deals at the 28-29 November Vilnius summit on the Eastern Partnership, but its plans were derailed by the then President Viktor Yanukovich. Following the news that Yanukovich failed to sign the agreement with the EU in Vilnius, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets in 'the EuroMaidan protest', demanding his resignation.

Spokesperson: EU's Ashton to Visit Iran Irrespective of Oekraïne krisis

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