EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton has said that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych promised her to take steps to resolve the crisis in Ukraine within 24 hours.

Ashton said at a news conference in Kyiv on Wednesday that from what she had heard from Yanukovych, something should be done within 24 hours. Yanukovych said many times that he had always wanted to see strong ties and close relations with the European Union, Ashton said when asked whether the EU planned to sanction the Ukrainian authorities in case of undemocratic actions on peaceful protestors.

The EU high representative said she made clear to the Ukrainian president that the current way of dealing with the situation could continue no longer. This is not right and one should use dialog in which people will be able to exercise their right to peaceful demonstrations, assemblies instead of provoking people, which would push them to further protests, she said.

Ashton said that peaceful solution to the situation should be found, however difficult this could be.

On the positive side, the EU high representative noted that the people arrested after an attempt to storm the presidential administration in Kyiv were released from custody.