The European Union strongly condemns the excessive use of force during a recent Euromaidan protest rally on Kyiv's Independence Square in the early hours of November 30, 2013, and calls for investigations.

"The European Union strongly condemns the excessive use of force last night by the police in Kyiv to disperse peaceful protesters, who over the last days in a strong and unprecedented manner have expressed their support for Ukraine's political association and economic integration with the EU," reads a joint statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Stefan Fule on the events in Ukraine.

"This support had been welcomed yesterday by the participants of the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit. The unjustified use of force goes against the principles to which all participants of the Vilnius Summit, including the President of Ukraine, yesterday reaffirmed their adherence," the statement says.

"We call on Ukraine, also in its capacity as Chairmanship in Office of the OSCE, hosting its Ministerial Conference in Kyiv on December 5-6, to fully abide by its international commitments to respect the freedom of expression and assembly," the statement says.

"We call upon the President and the Ukrainian authorities to carry out investigations into the events last night and to hold responsible those who acted against the basic principles of freedom of assembly and of expression," the statement says.