EU foreign ministers will meet here Thursday to examine targeted measures, such as financial sanctions against Ukraine, President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, announced today. "Leaders of the European Union are alarmed over the violent escalation of the political crisis in Ukraine. The European Union strongly deplores the human rights situation, including violence, cases of missing persons, torture and intimidation and the deaths and injuries sustained on all sides," he said in a statement. "We condemn the unjustified use of excessive force by the Ukrainian authorities. We call on all sides to refrain from violence. It is important to de-escalate and improve the security situation," he said.