Kiev urges responsible international reaction to Ukraine crisis

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday called on the international community to be objective and restrained while assessing the political situation in the East European country. "We hope for the most responsible position of our international partners to prevent actions that in some way may contribute to the further escalation of the internal conflict in Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement on its website. The ministry also urged foreign countries to base their position on reliable and proven facts. On Tuesday and in the early hours of Wednesday, at least 26 people died in street clashes between the riot police and protesters in Kiev. The confrontation also left 263 protesters and 342 officers injured. The unrest marked the latest wave of clashes between demonstrators and police in the almost three-month-long political standoff, which began last November as peaceful demonstrations calling for the country's European integration.