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Western powers are preparing to slap sanctions on Ukraine over the death of 26 people in
the worst violence since Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union.
European Union leaders say they are urgently preparing targeted sanctions such as asset
freezes and visa bans against officials responsible for the bloody crackdown... but President
Viktor Yanukovich will not be on the list to keep channels of dialogue open.
The U.S. says it is planning similar steps. President Yanukovich on Wednesday denounced
the violence as an attempted coup,... and he sacked the head of his armed forces without
explaining the reason behind his decision. Ukraine's health ministry says 26 people,
including ten police officers, were killed and hundreds more injured in the fighting.
Thousands of demonstrators have been rallying since November, when Yanukovich backed out
of a trade deal with the EU in favor of closer ties with Russia.