11:44
9.12.2013
11:48
9.12.2013
Strongest statement yet from European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso:
"It is important, in face of these challenges - instead of keeping ourselves in the comfort zone, namely the so called establishment parties - to have the courage to go out and fight, not to give up to those arguments, to explain with reasonable and rational arguments - sometimes for some of us with emotion - why we care about Europe, why Europe is something we must cherish precisely to defend these values."
"Just yesterday I had a phone call – another one - with President Yanukovych. I asked him to show restraint in the face of these recent developments, to not use force against the people that are demonstrating peacefully, to respect fully the freedoms that are so important for all of us in Europe."
"It is important, in face of these challenges - instead of keeping ourselves in the comfort zone, namely the so called establishment parties - to have the courage to go out and fight, not to give up to those arguments, to explain with reasonable and rational arguments - sometimes for some of us with emotion - why we care about Europe, why Europe is something we must cherish precisely to defend these values."
"Just yesterday I had a phone call – another one - with President Yanukovych. I asked him to show restraint in the face of these recent developments, to not use force against the people that are demonstrating peacefully, to respect fully the freedoms that are so important for all of us in Europe."
11:49
9.12.2013
11:52
9.12.2013
Breaking -- According to RIA Novosti, President Viktor Yanukovych has called for a "national roundtable" with representatives from the government and the opposition to come to a compromise.
11:56
9.12.2013
A statement released by Yanukovych says the idea for a roundtable was offered to him by Ukraine's first president, Leonid Kravchuk. A meeting will be held tomorrow with the four current and former presidents to discuss "critical issues" facing the country.
12:03
9.12.2013
Yanukovych's statement following the gathering of riot police around Kyiv may have been simply a show of force by the president. Still not clear.
12:18
9.12.2013
Yatsenyuk, head of the Fatherland party, calls on supporters to continue to go to Independence Square (Maydan).
"I appeal to all of Ukraine," he says. "Go to the heart of our country -- Maydan. Here lies the fate of Ukraine!"
"I appeal to all of Ukraine," he says. "Go to the heart of our country -- Maydan. Here lies the fate of Ukraine!"
12:21
9.12.2013
A statement from the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.
12:31
9.12.2013
Meanwhile, nice report from last night on the eerie standoff between police and protesters outside the presidential administration building.
12:41
9.12.2013
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will be in Kyiv tomorrow and Wednesday. Her spokeswoman, Maja Kocijancic, spoke to the media at a briefing in Brussels.
"She is expected to meet all the main stakeholders on both sides -- the government, the opposition, as well as the civil society," she said. "At the moment we are working on the program but I expect that I will have further details in the course of this afternoon."
"She is expected to meet all the main stakeholders on both sides -- the government, the opposition, as well as the civil society," she said. "At the moment we are working on the program but I expect that I will have further details in the course of this afternoon."