European Union ministers are seeking a political settlement in Ukraine after gun battles between police and anti-government protesters resulted the death of 75 people since Tuesday afternoon clashes. That was by far the worst violence since Ukraine emerged from the crumbling Soviet Union 22 years ago. The EU delegation composed of ministers from Germany, France and Poland, started the marathon talk on Thursday morning and embarked on “a night of difficult negotiations” with President Viktor Yanukovich and the opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko, who said he hoped for a deal overnight, but added there was no clear result so far. EU officials will stay in Kiev till Friday and are hoping a plan for an interim government and early elections could bring peace in the country.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden told Yanukovich in a phone call on Thursday to immediately pull back all security forces – police, snipers, military and paramilitary units, and irregular forces. The White House said in a statement, that the United States is prepared to sanction those officials responsible for the violence.

France’s foreign minister Laurent Fabius said there was still no agreement over a proposed road map to ease the crisis, which erupted in November after Yanukovich abandoned a proposed trade deal with the European Union and turned instead towards Moscow.

That’s all for now…Take care and happy weekend everyone. See you again on Monday, same time, same station.