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Ukraine crisis: Yanukovych announces 'peace deal' | Ukraine crisis: Yanukovych announces 'peace deal' |
(35 minutes later) | |
Ukraine's president says he has reached a deal with the opposition to end the crisis, after all-night talks mediated by EU foreign ministers. | Ukraine's president says he has reached a deal with the opposition to end the crisis, after all-night talks mediated by EU foreign ministers. |
Viktor Yanukovych's statement said the deal would be signed later, but the opposition has not confirmed the claim. | |
Protesters and police are still locked in a stand-off in Kiev, a day after dozens were killed in violent clashes. | Protesters and police are still locked in a stand-off in Kiev, a day after dozens were killed in violent clashes. |
On Thursday, EU foreign ministers said sanctions would be imposed on some Ukrainian officials over the violence. | |
The US has warned Kiev that it would follow suit. | The US has warned Kiev that it would follow suit. |
The protests first erupted in late November when President Yanukovych rejected a landmark association and trade deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia. | The protests first erupted in late November when President Yanukovych rejected a landmark association and trade deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia. |
Thursday was the bloodiest day since the unrest began. | |
Police opened fire after protesters tried to push them away from the makeshift camps they have been occupying in central Kiev. | |
The health ministry said 77 people had been killed since Tuesday, and another 577 were injured. | |
But activists suggested the death toll was likely to be much higher. | |
Early election mooted | |
On Thursday, the foreign ministers of France, Poland and Germany conducted several hours of discussions with Mr Yanukovych on a "road-map towards a political solution" before going on to talks with opposition leaders. | |
They returned for another meeting with Mr Yanukovych in the evening and the talks continued through the night. | |
Early on Friday, the presidency said "parties agreed on the initialling of an agreement to resolve the crisis", but gave no further details. | |
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had earlier said Mr Yanukovych had been willing to hold an early election, which is one of the protesters' main demands. | |
The opposition has not said anything to confirm the government's claim of a deal. | |
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who was involved in the talks, said he would be "cautious" about announcing any deal. | |
"The opposition, in particular, wants to be able to consult with some of its members, which is completely understandable," he said. | |
Earlier in the crisis, opposition leaders refused to agree anything with the government until they gained the approval of protesters. | |
Analysts say that after Thursday's killings, the split between protesters and the government is becoming impossible to bridge. | |
Video footage showed protesters walking directly towards the police, even as they fired handguns and rifles. | |
Police also shot protesters who went to help wounded colleagues. | |
Some of the protesters were armed with hunting rifles, and some threw petrol bombs. | |
There were also reports that dozens of police had been taken hostage. | |
But most of the protesters were unarmed, and tried to protect themselves from the bullets with homemade shields. | |
MPs assembled for a session of parliament on Thursday afternoon voted to condemn the violence. | |
They also called for the use of weapons against protesters to be banned, and for troops and police deployed against them to be withdrawn. | |
The session was attended by 239 out of 450 MPs, most of them from opposition parties. | |
A presidential statement blamed the opposition for the violence, and dismissed calls for a truce as "nothing but a way of playing for time to mobilise and arm militants". | |
Are you in Ukraine? Have you seen or taken part in any of the protests? Email your stories to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with the subject heading 'Ukraine'. | Are you in Ukraine? Have you seen or taken part in any of the protests? Email your stories to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with the subject heading 'Ukraine'. |
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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