Polish PM: Ukraine must avoid 'worst-case scenario'

Donald Tusk (left) with Martin Schulz in Brussels, Thursday: photo - PAP/Radek Pietruszka

Donald Tusk, who flew into Brussels this morning after having talks in Budapest on Wednesday with Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, said that top priority was for the government and opposition in Kiev to "stop the violence" and to avoid "worst-case scenarios".

Former president of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk said on Wednesday he feared that the ex-Soviet state was "on the brink of civil war" following protests which began in November after President Yanukovych reversed a decision to sign a long-awaited trade deal with the EU.

At least five people were killed and a number of government buildings across the country occupied in the lead up to government under Prime Minister Azarov resigning this week.

President of the European parliament, Martin Schulz said after talks with Donald Tusk that "we will do everything - both the Polish prime minister and I, as head of the European Parliament - to help maintain dialogue between the government and opposition in Ukraine, to prevent violence and to use all the tools we have at our disposal to come to a constructive and peaceful solution".

From Brussels, PM Tusk travels to Paris for talks with French President Francois Hollande on the conflict in Ukraine.

On Friday, Tusk will be in Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then on to a meeting with British PM David Cameron. (pg)

source: PAP