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German foreign minister denies deal has been made to end Ukraine crisis Ukraine protest leaders agree deal with government, mediators say
(about 1 hour later)
Several hours after Ukraine's embattled president announced early elections and promised to form a coalition government, Germany's foreign minister said a deal had not yet been reached to resolve the bloody crisis in Kiev that has left up to 100 people dead over three days of violent protest. EU ministers mediating fraught negotiations between government and opposition factions in Ukraine have said the protest council has agreed to sign a deal with the president.
Emerging from Victor Yanukovych's office after hours of tense negotiations between government and opposition representatives, Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the Guardian a deal had not yet been reached. The breakthrough was confirmed in a tweet from the German foreign office: "After talks with [foreign minister Frank-Walter] Steinmeier, Maidan's civic council [the protest leadership] decided to mandate opposition leaders to sign agreement."
"No result," he said, adding that he was not going home yet. Steinmeier then left for a new round of talks with opposition representatives. The Ukrainian opposition leader Oleh Tyahnibok confirmed that the protest council had reached an agreement with the acting minister of interior to resolve the crisis in which 100 people are thought to have been killed in the last three days.
As the government's midday deadline for an announcement of a deal passed, details of the proposed agreement remained slight. Despite opposition and international trust in Yanukovych standing at an all-time low, the presidential administration had claimed a "political agreement" had been reached during negotiations that ran throughout the night with the mediation of the foreign ministers of Germany, Poland and France. Poland's foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, was caught on video telling a protest leader: "If you don't support this deal you will have martial law, the army. You'll be dead."
The European mediators were more cautious. The Germans had said the talks had been "very difficult", run all night and had stopped for a break after 7am. Radek Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, also voiced scepticism that a deal had been reached that could resolve the crisis. Earlier, Steinmeier spoke to the Guardian on his way from the presidential office before meeting opposition activists and poured cold water on President Victor Yanukovych's claim that a political agreement had been reached during a night of negotiations led by the foreign ministers of Poland, France and Germany. But now it appears a deal may have been struck.
He said Ukraine was at a "delicate moment" and "all sides need to remember that compromise means getting less than 100%". Details of the proposed agreement remain slight. European mediators have been cautious in welcoming Russian-backed Yanukovych's claims of success following a series of concessions to pro-European protesters, including an agreement to hold early elections by December.
It is not clear if protesters will accept the deal as it stands. Anton Solovyov, 28, an IT worker in the central square said: "This is just another piece of paper. We will not leave the barricades until Yanukovych steps down. That's all people want." In a statement published on the presidential website, Yanukovych said: "There are no steps that we should not take to restore peace in Ukraine." He said the country would revert to a previous constitution under which the president has less authority.
After the worst bloodshed in the country's 23 years of independence, Kiev awoke to a bright, sunny and peaceful day, with the city centre firmly in the hands of the anti-Yanukovych protest movement and the riot police, ubiquitous until Thursday morning, barely to be seen. The Germans said the talks had been "very difficult", continuing all night and stopping for a break after 7am. Sikorski also voiced scepticism that a deal had been reached that could resolve the crisis. He said Ukraine was at a "delicate moment" and "all sides need to remember that compromise means getting less than 100%".
As Yanukovych claimed a settlement had been reached, shots rang out through Independence Square as police clashed with protestors. It is not clear whether protesters will accept the deal as it stands. Anton Solovyov, 28, an IT worker in the central square, said: "This is just another piece of paper. We will not leave the barricades until Yanukovych steps down. That's all people want."
After the worst bloodshed in the country's 23 years of independence, Kiev awoke to a bright, sunny and peaceful day, with the city centre firmly in the hands of the anti-Yanukovych protest movement, and the riot police – ubiquitous until Thursday morning – barely to be seen. It was not long, however, before shots rang out through Independence Square as police clashed with protesters.
"Participants in the mass disorder opened fire on police officers and tried to burst through in the direction of the parliament building," a police statement said."Participants in the mass disorder opened fire on police officers and tried to burst through in the direction of the parliament building," a police statement said.
Opposition leader Arseny Yatsenyuk, speaking in the parliament building a mile away, said armed police had entered the premises but the deputy speaker said they had been forced out. The opposition leader Arseny Yatsenyuk, speaking in the parliament building a mile away, said armed police had entered the premises, but the deputy speaker said they had been forced out.
Thousands remained on Independence Square or Maidan, the epicentre of the resistance after police fled the square in pitched battles on Thursday. The protesters have vastly expanded the area of the city centre under their control and have quickly built huge barricades and reinforced positions to keep the security forces at bay. Thousands remained on Independence Square, or Maidan, after police pitched battles on Thursday. The protesters have vastly expanded the area of the city centre under their control and have quickly built huge barricades and reinforced positions to keep the security forces at bay. There was no let-up in the speech-making, singing and praying led from the stage at the centre of the square.
Protesters remained on the square throughout the night, with no let-up at all in the speech-making, singing and praying led by the stage at the centre of the square.
Parliament assembled and is likely to see rowdy scenes as the city and the country digest the shock of this week's bloodshed, which has hardened positions in the protest movement and reinforced the resolve to topple Yanukovych.
At the moment it is difficult to see how the president will recover any authority or how the government will re-establish control over the centre of the capital.