The Euromaidan protests, which erupted on 21 November 2013 after Ukraine suspended its EU Association Agreement preparations, drew strong international reactions. The European Union swiftly condemned the "excessive use of force" against peaceful demonstrators on 30 November, with officials like Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle and High Representative Catherine Ashton issuing joint statements, while MEP Guy Verhofstadt later called it the largest pro-European demonstration in EU history. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed for restraint on 3 December, urging all parties to uphold democratic freedoms. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also condemned the police violence on the same day, and NATO foreign ministers pressed Ukraine to abide by its OSCE commitments regarding freedom of assembly and expression. The OSCE voiced concern over attacks on media, while the Council of Europe's anti-torture committee found deliberate ill-treatment of detained protesters, collectively signaling strong Western disapproval of the government's crackdown.