BRUSSELS, Feb. 19 - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that the EU will respond to any deterioration of the situation in Ukraine with targeted measures against those responsible for violence.

"We have also made it clear that the EU will respond to any deterioration on the ground. We therefore expect that targeted measures against those responsible for violence and use of excessive force can be agreed by our Member States as a matter of urgency, as proposed by the High Representative/Vice President," he said in a statement on Ukraine on Wednesday.