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| Ukraine crisis: President and opposition agree truce | Ukraine crisis: President and opposition agree truce |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych says he has agreed a truce with opposition leaders, after at least 26 people died in clashes this week. | Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych says he has agreed a truce with opposition leaders, after at least 26 people died in clashes this week. |
| In a statement, he said "negotiations" would now start to end the bloodshed of the last two days. | In a statement, he said "negotiations" would now start to end the bloodshed of the last two days. |
| Opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk confirmed this, saying there would be no new police attempts to storm the main protest site, the Maidan, in Kiev. | |
| Fires are continuing to burn around the Maidan, but no violence is reported. | Fires are continuing to burn around the Maidan, but no violence is reported. |
| Most of the victims died during the clashes near the parliament building in the capital and later police attempts to clear the Maidan on Tuesday - making it the bloodiest day since the unrest erupted in late November. | Most of the victims died during the clashes near the parliament building in the capital and later police attempts to clear the Maidan on Tuesday - making it the bloodiest day since the unrest erupted in late November. |
| In other developments: | In other developments: |
| 'Anti-terrorist campaign' | 'Anti-terrorist campaign' |
| The announcement of the truce came late on Wednesday after Mr Yanukovych met members of a crisis group, which included Ukraine's three main opposition leaders, the parliamentary speaker and top officials from the presidential administration. | The announcement of the truce came late on Wednesday after Mr Yanukovych met members of a crisis group, which included Ukraine's three main opposition leaders, the parliamentary speaker and top officials from the presidential administration. |
| The statement on the presidential website said that it was agreed to "start negotiations aimed at stopping the bloodshed, stabilising the situation in the country and achieving social peace". | |
| It did not give details of what the truce would entail or how it would be implemented. | It did not give details of what the truce would entail or how it would be implemented. |
| The main opposition leaders present at the talks were Mr Yatsenyuk and also boxer-turned-politician Vitali Klitschko and far-right party leader Oleh Tyahnybok. | |
| "The storming of the Maidan (Independence Square) which the authorities had planned today will not take place," Mr Yatsenyuk said in a statement on his Fatherland party. | "The storming of the Maidan (Independence Square) which the authorities had planned today will not take place," Mr Yatsenyuk said in a statement on his Fatherland party. |
| "A truce has been declared. The main thing is to protect human life," he added. | "A truce has been declared. The main thing is to protect human life," he added. |
| The media wing of Vitali Klitschko's Udar party said the next round of negotiations with President Yanukovych would resume on Thursday. | The media wing of Vitali Klitschko's Udar party said the next round of negotiations with President Yanukovych would resume on Thursday. |
| But a BBC correspondent in Kiev, Daniel Sandford, has urged caution, pointing out that none of the hardcore protesters have so far attended talks with the president. | But a BBC correspondent in Kiev, Daniel Sandford, has urged caution, pointing out that none of the hardcore protesters have so far attended talks with the president. |
| The news came after the most intense violence in Ukraine's three-month crisis turned Kiev into a battle zone between anti-government protesters and riot police. | The news came after the most intense violence in Ukraine's three-month crisis turned Kiev into a battle zone between anti-government protesters and riot police. |
| The protests first erupted when President Yanukovych rejected a landmark association and trade deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia. | The protests first erupted when President Yanukovych rejected a landmark association and trade deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia. |
| Since then, the protests spread across Ukraine, with the main demand of snap presidential and parliamentary elections. | Since then, the protests spread across Ukraine, with the main demand of snap presidential and parliamentary elections. |
| Clashes erupted on Tuesday morning as protesters marched to the parliament building, pressing for constitutional changes to limit what they described as "dictatorial" powers of President Yanukovych. | Clashes erupted on Tuesday morning as protesters marched to the parliament building, pressing for constitutional changes to limit what they described as "dictatorial" powers of President Yanukovych. |
| The violence escalated when the riot police later tried to wrest control of the Maidan in Kiev's Independence Square, which has been in the hands of protesters for several months. | The violence escalated when the riot police later tried to wrest control of the Maidan in Kiev's Independence Square, which has been in the hands of protesters for several months. |
| While the violence temporarily subsided on Wednesday, there were still periodic clashes, and protesters seized the central post office adjacent to the Maidan. | While the violence temporarily subsided on Wednesday, there were still periodic clashes, and protesters seized the central post office adjacent to the Maidan. |
| The unrest has also spread outside of Kiev, with protesters seizing regional administrative and police buildings in the western cities of Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk. | The unrest has also spread outside of Kiev, with protesters seizing regional administrative and police buildings in the western cities of Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk. |
| A government office was seized in the northern city of Zhytomyr, and there were clashes in Vinnytsia, central Ukraine, and Poltava, to the east of Kiev. | A government office was seized in the northern city of Zhytomyr, and there were clashes in Vinnytsia, central Ukraine, and Poltava, to the east of Kiev. |
| A woman was also reportedly shot dead during an attempt to storm a building belonging to the security services in Khmelnytskyy, west of the capital. | A woman was also reportedly shot dead during an attempt to storm a building belonging to the security services in Khmelnytskyy, west of the capital. |
| On Wednesday, Ukraine's state security service announced it was preparing a nationwide "anti-terrorist" campaign to deal with a growing "extremist threat". There was also a suggestion the armed forces could be deployed for the first time. | On Wednesday, Ukraine's state security service announced it was preparing a nationwide "anti-terrorist" campaign to deal with a growing "extremist threat". There was also a suggestion the armed forces could be deployed for the first time. |
| Are you in Ukraine? Have you seen or taken part in any of the protests? Email your stories to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | Are you in Ukraine? Have you seen or taken part in any of the protests? Email your stories to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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