EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton summoned the bloc's foreign ministers for emergency talks on Ukraine on Thursday amid a chorus of calls for sanctions against Kiev.

As Europe's leaders voiced outrage over the escalating violence in Ukraine, Ashton said in a statement that the European Union finally would consider sanctions against those deemed responsible.

"All possible options will be explored, including restrictive measures against those responsible for repression and human rights violations," she said in a statement.

Her spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic meanwhile announced that Ashton had convened an extraordinary meeting of the bloc's 28 foreign ministers "on Ukraine tomorrow at 2 pm (1300 GMT) in Brussels.".

The EU's political and security committee went into talks at 1000 GMT on Wednesday, with Ukraine topping the agenda.