Premier Kathleen Wynne and the provincial NDP are calling on Ottawa to impose "targeted sanctions" against Ukraine for its crackdown on protesters.

"I would like to see the federal government enact immediate targeted sanctions toward those responsible," Wynne said during all-party statements before question period Thursday morning.

"I would like to see the federal government use its considerable international influence to convince international partners, in particular the countries of the European Union, to likewise implement sanctions against those responsible for the killings and human rights abuses."

All three major political parties decried the escalating violence in the former Soviet republic, which is divided by language and pro-Russian and pro-EU regions.

Ottawa has already closed its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine's embattled capital, and announced new sanctions Thursday against the eastern European country after the latest clashes in which police gunfire left at least 70 people dead.

The federal government has also worked with Ukrainian groups to provide medical supplies to the embattled country of 45 million people, which became independent in 1991.

Late Thursday, Ottawa expanded a visa ban first imposed in late January against top officials in Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s government.

Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers slapped sanctions against Ukrainian officials who they say are responsible for the violence there. The sanctions include a travel ban and the freezing of the officials' assets in EU countries.

In the legislature, NDP women's issues critic Cheri DiNovo, who represents the Parkdale-High Park riding, said economic sanctions would help intensify pressure on the Ukrainian government to end the violence.

"What we're calling for federally is targeted sanctions," DiNovo said. "We need more action on this issue."

NDP labour critic Taras Natyshak, a Ukrainian-Canadian and MPP for Essex, said the legislature must "stand for those who speak for peace and tolerance and use every resource we can ─ whether it be sanctions or or otherwise ─ to de-escalate the situation."

" I have family members who live in Ukraine," Natyshak said. "They are a proud and passionate people, and they are frightened the violence could escalate."

PC deputy leader Christine Elliott noted the great contribution of Ukrainians to Canada and Ontario since the first immigrants arrived in 1891.

"We share a common belief in freedom," the Whitby-Oshawa MPP told the legislature. "For too long, the future of Ukraine has been decided by someone other than the Ukrainian people."

Canada has more than 1.2 million people of full or part Ukrainian origin, making the group Canada's ninth-largest ethnic minority. Ontario has a large Ukrainian-Canadian community in the GTA and other parts of the province.

Former Ontario premier Ernie Eves and Saskatchewan's Roy Romanow have Ukrainian heritage.

"Ontario is a very diverse province, which includes a strong and vibrant Ukrainian community ─ a community that has a large presence in many of our ridings," Wynne said.

"We all know a member of the Ukrainian community who is watching these events with mounting concern and anguish."

The audio for some of the statements made from the various parties is below:

listen to ‘Wynne on Ukraine’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Christine Elliott on Ukraine’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Natyshak on Ukraine’ on Audioboo

Wynne calls for sanctions on Ukrainian government

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