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Polish aid for protesters arrives in Kiev

PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle 03.02.2014 09:55
Around 10 tonnes of warm clothing and other items collected in Poland have been delivered to protesters camped out in Kiev, as the EU condemns "deliberate targeting of peaceful protesters".

Independence
Independence Square and surrounds in Kiev, Sunday: photo - EPA

Father Stefan Batruch, a priest from the Borderland Culture Foundation, which organised the transportation, said that the collection of clothing, sleeping bags and medical items took six hours to get through customs at the Polish-Ukrainian border, after officials had turned back previous attempts to send aid to Kiev.

"There was a lot of anxiety but it turned out that it was possible," Father Batruch told Polish Radio.

"Our transport is a visible sign of the support Poles have for Ukrainians," he said.

Meanwhile, as thousands keep up the protests in the Ukrainian capital, the EU has condemned what opposition leader Dmytro Bulatov claimed was his abduction and torture, when he reappeared after being missing for several days looking bloodied and beaten.

As Bulatov flew to Lithuania for medical treatment on Sunday, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton condemned the "deliberate targeting of organisers and participants of peaceful protests".

Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara dismissed Bulatov's claims he was tortured, however.

"The only thing he has is a scratch on one of his cheeks. It looks like the alleged story that he was kidnapped and tortured is not absolutely true," the minister told al-Jazeera.

Diplomatic offensive

Poland's prime minister is continuing a series of meetings with European leaders on the political crisis in Ukraine.

After talks with German, French, British, Hungarian and other heads of government last week, Tusk travelling to Tallinn on Monday.

While in the Estonian capital, Donald Tusk will meet with Baltic state premiers from Latvia, Lithuania and the host country to assess the situation in Ukraine and ways for an effective and peaceful solution to the conflict there. A press conference of the four government leaders is planned after their talks.

From Tallinn, Prime Minister Tusk is to fly to Stockholm and Helsinki where he shall hold similar consultations with his opposite numbers Fredrik Reinfeldt and Jyrki Katainen, respectively. (pg/ss)

tags: Ukraine
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