20:37
11.12.2013
Final Wrapup (barring major events)
-- EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said following an afternoon meeting that President Viktor Yanukovych pledged that "something should be done in the course of the next 24 hours."
-- Yanukovych then announced he had invited the opposition to participate in dialogue. He added that Ukrainian authorities would "act only within the law and never use force against peaceful assemblies." He also said a delegation would visit Brussels tomorrow to discuss an EU Association Agreement.
-- Opposition parties have rejected negotiations unless all of their demands are met. UDAR leader Vitali Klitschko said the overnight crackdown on December 10-11 meant that "Yanukovych closed off the path to any kind of compromise."
-- Early on December 11, about 10 hours after police first began to clear Independence Square and other protest sites in Kyiv overnight, police withdrew from those locations. Thousands of people have returned to Independence Square and are rebuilding barricades.
-- U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland went personally to Independence Square to hand out food to riot police and protesters, then met with President Viktor Yanukovych and said the United States believed it was still possible to save Ukraine's "European future." Secretary of State John Kerry had earlier expressed his "disgust" about the government's overnight actions in Kyiv. A State Department spokesperson said all options, including sanctions, were on the table.
Glenn Kates and RFE/RL editors
-- EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said following an afternoon meeting that President Viktor Yanukovych pledged that "something should be done in the course of the next 24 hours."
-- Yanukovych then announced he had invited the opposition to participate in dialogue. He added that Ukrainian authorities would "act only within the law and never use force against peaceful assemblies." He also said a delegation would visit Brussels tomorrow to discuss an EU Association Agreement.
-- Opposition parties have rejected negotiations unless all of their demands are met. UDAR leader Vitali Klitschko said the overnight crackdown on December 10-11 meant that "Yanukovych closed off the path to any kind of compromise."
-- Early on December 11, about 10 hours after police first began to clear Independence Square and other protest sites in Kyiv overnight, police withdrew from those locations. Thousands of people have returned to Independence Square and are rebuilding barricades.
-- U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland went personally to Independence Square to hand out food to riot police and protesters, then met with President Viktor Yanukovych and said the United States believed it was still possible to save Ukraine's "European future." Secretary of State John Kerry had earlier expressed his "disgust" about the government's overnight actions in Kyiv. A State Department spokesperson said all options, including sanctions, were on the table.
Glenn Kates and RFE/RL editors
20:13
11.12.2013
Via Reuters: U.S. State Department spokesman Jen Psaki told reporters today the U.S. is considering all options, including sanctions on Ukraine.
"All policy options, including sanctions, are on the table, in our view, but obviously that still is being evaluated," Psaki told reporters.
"All policy options, including sanctions, are on the table, in our view, but obviously that still is being evaluated," Psaki told reporters.
20:12
11.12.2013
Video of the brawl between Georgian lawmakers earlier today.
Giorgi Baramidze, from former President Mikhail Saakashvili's United National Movement had proposed a resolution supporting pro-EU protesters in Ukraine and condemning police violence.But a member of the ruling Georgia Dream, Soso Jachvliani, said he should also "officially condemn the violent dismissal of opposition protests in Tbilisi in 2007 and 2011," when his party was in power.
Giorgi Baramidze, from former President Mikhail Saakashvili's United National Movement had proposed a resolution supporting pro-EU protesters in Ukraine and condemning police violence.But a member of the ruling Georgia Dream, Soso Jachvliani, said he should also "officially condemn the violent dismissal of opposition protests in Tbilisi in 2007 and 2011," when his party was in power.
20:10
11.12.2013
Via our Ukrainian Service:
The opposition has appealed a court order to vacate the trade union building, which has become a de-facto opposition headquarters since December 1. The opposition says the court order is illegal.
The opposition has appealed a court order to vacate the trade union building, which has become a de-facto opposition headquarters since December 1. The opposition says the court order is illegal.
20:10
11.12.2013
Reports of celebratory fireworks on Independence Square tonight.
20:06
11.12.2013
Via Reuters: U.S. State Department spokesman Jen Psaki told reporters today the U.S. is considering all options, including sanctions on Ukraine.
"All policy options, including sanctions, are on the table, in our view, but obviously that still is being evaluated," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, declining to specify what kinds of sanctions may be under consideration.
"All policy options, including sanctions, are on the table, in our view, but obviously that still is being evaluated," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, declining to specify what kinds of sanctions may be under consideration.
18:31
11.12.2013
In an interview with Russian television personality Kseniya Sobchak, Vitali Klitschko says "Ukrainians are ready to be patient" in the face of short-term consequences of Russian trade sanctions that could come with signing an EU Association Agreement.
Klitschko leads the opposition Udar (punch) party.
Klitschko leads the opposition Udar (punch) party.
18:02
11.12.2013
Reports on the ground portray a sense of revelry and pride among protesters for withstanding yesterday's riot police raids. Authorities succeeded in tearing down barricades surrounding Independence Square, but by all accounts the mini tent-city appears to be rising again.
17:56
11.12.2013
Oleh Tyahnybok is the leader of the far-right Svoboda party and of the three main opposition leaders.
17:36
11.12.2013
Interfax reports that 20 people were hospitalized following clashes last night -- 11 law enforcement personnel and nine protesters, according to the Kyiv health department.