Ukraine president 'agrees truce' with opposition

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych says he has agreed a truce with opposition leaders, after at least 26 people died in protests this week.

A statement on the presidential website said they had agreed to start "negotiations" aimed at ending the bloodshed of the last two days.

They also agreed to try to stabilise "the situation in the state in the interests of social peace".

Earlier today, the president sacked the head of the armed forces.

No reason was given for the dismissal of Col Gen Volodymyr Zamana, who was replaced by the commander of Ukraine's navy, Admiral Yuriy Ilyin, by presidential decree.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26267220

[HereSince1628]

1. Also being reported by Reuters

(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich said late on Wednesday that he had agreed a "truce" with opposition leaders after 26 people were killed in street clashes, ahead of meetings with EU foreign ministers who are threatening to impose sanctions for the violence.

A statement on the Presidential website announced an agreement for "the start to negotiations with the aim of ending bloodshed, and stabilizing the situation in the state in the interests of social peace".

A tense stand-off between protesters and riot police continued on Thursday morning in Kiev, where the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland will later meet Yanukovich before returning to Brussels for a meeting of all 28 European Union foreign ministers to decide on targeted sanctions for Tuesday night's violence.

Yanukovich, backed by Russia, had denounced the bloodshed in central Kiev, where protesters have been dug in for almost three months since he spurned a trade deal with the European Union in favor of closer Russian ties, as an attempted coup.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/19/us-ukraine-idUSBREA1G0OU20140219