The European Union will impose sanctions on some Ukrainian officials deemed responsible for the bloody violence that resulted in 21 more deaths on Thursday, raising the death toll to at least 75 lives lost in Kiev and beyond.

Foreign ministers and dignitaries filed into Brussels to come up with some sort of response to this week’s deteriorating situation in Ukraine, and after an intense day of talks decided on a plan of action that would be implemented quickly.

“In light of the deteriorating situation, the EU has decided as a matter of urgency to introduce targeted sanctions including asset freeze and visa ban against those responsible for human rights violations, violence and use of excessive force,” said EU Foreign Affairs Chief Catherine Ashton.  “Member states agreed to suspend (Ukrainian) export licenses on equipment which might be used for internal repression.”

The United States had imposed similar measures a day earlier.

French, German and Polish foreign ministers ar in Kiev where they held five hours of talks with President Viktor Yanukovich to try and tamp down the violence.  They’re pushing for earlier parliamentary and presidential elections as a way out of the current spiral.