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Ukraine crisis: Yanukovych ready to resume EU talks | |
(35 minutes later) | |
President Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine has said government officials could visit Brussels this week to resume talks on the EU association agreement. | |
By withdrawing just before the agreement was due to be signed last month, Mr Yanukovych sparked huge street protests by the opposition. | |
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, was cheered by crowds on a visit to Kiev's main protest site. | |
Police in the city have moved to break the blockade of government buildings. | |
Several people were hurt overnight as riot police advanced on protesters. | Several people were hurt overnight as riot police advanced on protesters. |
But no action was taken against the main opposition camp on Independence Square, where several thousand protesters remained on Tuesday, huddling around braziers to keep warm. | |
On Sunday, at least 100,000 protesters turned out, demanding the resignation of the government within 48 hours. | On Sunday, at least 100,000 protesters turned out, demanding the resignation of the government within 48 hours. |
Scuffles | Scuffles |
President Yanukovych said a working group led by a deputy prime minister would "probably" go to Brussels on Wednesday to resume work with the European Commission on the association agreement. | President Yanukovych said a working group led by a deputy prime minister would "probably" go to Brussels on Wednesday to resume work with the European Commission on the association agreement. |
However, Mr Yanukovych appears to have again stressed the need to strengthen economic ties with Russia, which strongly opposes the EU agreement. | |
"We cannot talk about the future without talking about restoring trade relations with Russia," he added, quoted by Reuters news agency. | "We cannot talk about the future without talking about restoring trade relations with Russia," he added, quoted by Reuters news agency. |
Mr Yanukovych discussed the crisis at a televised round table on Tuesday with his three predecessors as president of Ukraine - Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko. No representatives of the street demonstrators were present. | |
The president said he had asked the prosecutor general to ensure the release of some protesters detained last month - those who had not committed grave crimes and who had children or families. | |
The street protests, the biggest since 2004, have invited parallels with that time. On each of the last three Sundays, crowds estimated at 100,000 or more have flooded central Kiev. | The street protests, the biggest since 2004, have invited parallels with that time. On each of the last three Sundays, crowds estimated at 100,000 or more have flooded central Kiev. |
On Monday, phalanxes of riot police, their helmets caked in snow, moved to clear Kiev's government district of protesters, tearing down barricades leading to the presidency, cabinet offices and parliament. | On Monday, phalanxes of riot police, their helmets caked in snow, moved to clear Kiev's government district of protesters, tearing down barricades leading to the presidency, cabinet offices and parliament. |
Scuffles broke out and, while there were no immediate official reports of injuries, members of Svoboda said several people had been hurt. Two police officers were also reportedly injured. | Scuffles broke out and, while there were no immediate official reports of injuries, members of Svoboda said several people had been hurt. Two police officers were also reportedly injured. |
The unrest in Kiev and other parts of Ukraine escalated after police used violence against protesters on 30 November. | The unrest in Kiev and other parts of Ukraine escalated after police used violence against protesters on 30 November. |
The crisis has highlighted divisions in Ukraine, with many in the east of the country more sympathetic to Russia, and opposing both closer links with the EU and the anti-government protests. | The crisis has highlighted divisions in Ukraine, with many in the east of the country more sympathetic to Russia, and opposing both closer links with the EU and the anti-government protests. |
'Serious risk' | |
Baroness Ashton met Mr Yanukovych for three and a half hours, her press service said, without giving details. | |
She later visited the protest camp on Independence Square. | |
Speaking before the visit, Baroness Ashton voiced concern about a police raid on the headquarters of Ukraine's biggest opposition party, Fatherland. | |
Computer servers were removed during the raid on the party led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been in prison since 2011 over a controversial gas contract with Russia. | |
"I follow with concern the reports that police forces forcibly entered the office of the biggest opposition party," Baroness Ashton said in a statement. | |
In a speech to the European Parliament, the EU's enlargement commissioner, Stefan Fuele said the EU was ready to help Ukraine financially "including through topping up IMF loans with macro-financial assistance [and] stepping up the European Union's financial assistance programmes", but it was not clear whether this was an increase over previous offers. | |
Mr Yanukovych has complained of the cost of upgrading Ukraine's economy to EU standards, saying 20bn euros (£16.7bn; $27.4) a year would be needed while the EU offered only a fraction of that sum. | |
US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland met leading opposition politicians and was due to have talks with President Viktor Yanukovych. | |
Ms Nuland met Vitaly Klitschko, the heavyweight boxing champion who leads the Udar (Punch) party, as well as Arseniy Yatsenyuk, of Tymoshenko's Fatherland party, and Oleh Tyahnybok, of the far-right Svoboda party. | |
In Moscow earlier, the US diplomat expressed "deep concern" about events in Ukraine, stressing Washington's support for Ukrainians' "European choice". | |
She "urged Russia to use its influence to press for peace, human dignity and a political solution", the US embassy in Moscow said in a statement. |