Canada has moved ahead of Washington by joining the European Union and slapping sanctions against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his supporters as the world reeled from scenes of bloody carnage in Kyiv.

Calling Yanukovych’s government a “regime,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office issued a statement outlining an expanded travel ban on senior Ukrainian government members, as well as targeted economic sanctions against them.

Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said in a conference call on Thursday that Yanukovych and his supporters had blatantly ignored human rights and democracy.

“Canada is sending a clear message to Yanukovych and his supporters. You are not welcome in Canada,” Alexander said from Winnipeg.

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In photos: Ukraine truce ends

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Bloodshed in Kyiv as Ukrainian government clashes with protesters

While U.S. President Barack Obama has strongly condemned the bloodshed in Ukraine his government has not backed that up with sanctions.

A fragile peace in Kyiv ended abruptly Thursday as renewed violence left dozens dead and hundreds wounded. Demonstrators vowed not to leave the capital’s Independence Square unless Yanukovych stepped down.

The crisis in Kyiv is now teetering on the edge of a coup d’etat, with both sides reporting the use of real bullets, protesters being cut down by gunfire and the streets running red with blood.

There are reports that more than 70 have died since Wednesday’s truce was called off. Many of the fallen were young. Demonstrators draped their bodies in the Ukrainian flag. Religious leaders said prayers and blessed the dead.

As Kyiv burned and police snipers took aim from rooftops, fear fell on the city. The Ukraine parliament was evacuated and streets were empty. Cash machines were running low. Lines for fuel were extremely long, said Canadian citizen Mychailo Wynnyckyj, a 43-year-old professor living in Kyiv.

“There is a panic in the city. Most gas stations have a two- to three-hour line, people trying to fill up because the rumour is they will run out of gas,” Wynnyckyj told the Star.

“People are staying indoors glued to the Internet and TV sets, talking to relatives on the phone,” he said.

Diplomatic efforts to stop the bloodshed reached a tipping point on Thursday. The foreign ministers from Germany, Poland and France flew to Kyiv to hold emergency talks with Yanukovych’s government.

After those talks ended, the three emerged silently and then flew to Brussels, where the 28-nation European Union decided to impose sanctions against those behind the violence in Ukraine, including a travel ban and an asset freeze against some officials.

British Prime Minister David Cameron also called Russian President Vladimir Putin and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. All three agreed that Ukraine should get behind the “idea of a road map put forward by European foreign ministers” to stop the violence, a statement from Downing Street said.

Meanwhile what was happening on the streets of Kyiv exploded on social media with images of violence, the dead covered in white sheets and lying in hotel lobbies, videos of police shooting down protesters and first-hand accounts of the bloody riots.

As Ukrainian-Canadians watched the horrific images coming out of Kyiv, a city of 3 million, many made travel arrangements to fly back to Ukraine and support the Euromaidan demonstrators. Euromaidan is the name used by the pro-democracy protesters after initial rallies in Independence Square.

Toronto dentist Dr. Leonid Kovbel left for Kyiv on Thursday night to join the front lines of those fighting. This is the 33-year-old’s fourth trip since the crisis began in late November.

The recent images out of Kyiv have shaken him and strengthened his resolve to make sure Ukraine remains committed toward greater ties with the EU and away from the grip of Russia.

“You don’t expect something like this to happen with your own government in the 21st century. The people are so determined. They are not going anywhere. They are committed to staying,” Kovbel said.

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The only way forward is if Yanukovych resigns and new elections are immediately called, Euromaidan supporters say.

Ukraine, a former Soviet bloc nation, is split along two lines. The central-west part of the country, including Kyiv, favours strong ties with Europe, while the Russian-speaking east has more of a pull to Moscow.

Wynnyckyj, a father or four small children, has frequently joined demonstrators but he chose to stay indoors Thursday. He said the streets outside his window, two subway stops from Independence Square, were eerily quiet, missing the rush-hour traffic. He could smell the burning tires used by protesters as a protective wall from police.

“We’ve had young thugs walking around with baseball bats and masks and looking for cars that may be identified (as belonging to) the protesters. Last night, in one neighbourhood of Kyiv, 28 cars were burned. The neighbourhood is the equivalent of Etobicoke.”

There are snipers on rooftops using real bullets, Wynnyckyj said.

“I am not particularly scared of mass violence or demonstrations but when you are talking of snipers on rooftops you can’t defend yourself,” he said.

The acting interior minister was on television Thursday informing people that the police have been armed and will use force.

“Live ammunition and weapons have been given to police, according to the interior minister. He has officially said lethal weapons and live rounds have been issued to police officers and they will be used and they have been used,” Wynnyckyj told the Star.

He wants to see Yanukovych resign.

“Nothing else will be accepted. There is only one person responsible for those deaths and he is not willing to go,” he said. “It is futile to negotiate. The only thing to negotiate now is his exit from the country.”

As long as Wynnyckyj stays inside with his family, he said he has no fear.

“This is where we live. This is something we have to live through. It will end, sooner rather than later, but it is something the country must go through.”

Many are now too young to remember what took place in the Second World War but everyone knows the history and stories of how Ukraine suffered then fell under Soviet control. Euromaidan supporters won’t let that happen again, he said.

The current crisis began after Yanukovych refused to sign a deal of closer integration and trade with the EU on Nov. 21. Instead, he suddenly pivoted toward Moscow and a $15-billion loan promise from Putin, along with promises of cheaper fuel. The move frightened pro-EU Ukrainians, who felt Yanukovych was stepping back in time.

With files from The Associated Press.

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