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Viktor Yanukovych
Ukraine’s former PM Yulia Tymoshenko has been freed from jail.
It follows a vote by parliament to release her after President Viktor Yanukovych fled the capital Kiev.
Speaking after her release, the Ukrainian opposition leader said “the dictatorship has fallen”.
Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in jail in 2011 after a controversial verdict on her actions as prime minister.
Ukraine’s former PM Yulia Tymoshenko has been freed from jail
The glamorous, fiery orator who helped lead the Orange Revolution – Ukraine’s revolt against a controversial election in 2004 – was convicted of criminally exceeding her powers when she agreed a gas deal with Russia which was seen to have disadvantaged her own country.
Yulia Tymoshenko has always insisted the charges were untrue, inspired by Viktor Yanukovych, the man she helped oust in 2004 who returned to defeat her in the 2010 presidential election.
The EU had demanded her release as one of the conditions of the EU-Ukraine trade pact that President Viktor Yanukovych rejected last year – triggering the protests that led to the current crisis.
Olha Lappo, spokeswoman for the Fatherland party Yulia Tymoshenko leads, said she was heading from prison in the eastern city of Kharkiv to the capital Kiev to join protesters there.
Yulia Tymoshenko’s release was made possible by a European-brokered peace deal between her President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition on Friday.
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In fast-moving events on Saturday, Ukraine’s parliament voted for opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko to be released immediately.
Former PM Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 for abuse of power. Her supporters had always maintained this was simply Viktor Yanukovych taking out his most prominent opponent.
Also in parliament, speaker Volodymyr Rybak resigned, citing ill health. He has been replaced by Oleksandr Turchynov, an ally of Yulia Tymoshenko.
Another Yulia Tymoshenko ally, Arsen Avakov, has been appointed interim interior minister. He replaces Vitaly Zakharchenko, who was sacked on Friday after being blamed for the deaths of civilians in last week’s crackdown on protests.
Former PM Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 for abuse of power
Vitaly Klitschko, leader of the opposition Udar party, repeated his demand for President Viktor Yanukovych’s immediate resignation.
Meanwhile presidential aide Hanna Herman said Viktor Yanukovych had travelled to Kharkiv in the east, close to the Russian border, from where he was to give a televised address.
A gathering of deputies from the south-east and Crimea – traditionally Russian-leaning areas – is taking place there, but Hanna Herman said the president had “no intention” of attending, nor of leaving the country.
An opposition figure has announced to crowds in Independence Square that President Viktor Yanukovych has resigned. This has not been confirmed, but the crowds reacted with huge cheers. The presidential website appears to have gone down.
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According to new reports, the Kiev offices of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych are unguarded, with opposition protesters apparently in full control of the government district.
Ukraine’s capital is now quiet, a day after deal was signed to end a political crisis in which dozens have died.
As parliament met on Saturday, the speaker, Volodymyr Rybak stood down.
Volodymyr Rybak cited ill health as the reason for his resignation.
Despite the deal signed on Friday, thousands of people have remained on the streets of Kiev.
The Kiev offices of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych are unguarded, with opposition protesters apparently in full control of the government district
There is no sign of security forces inside the previously heavily guarded presidential complex, though some government employees arrived for work.
There are unconfirmed reports that President Viktor Yanukovych has left Kiev, with suggestions that he has travelled to Kharkiv in the east, close to the Russian border.
One group of far-right protesters had threatened to take action if he did not resign by Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the opposition Udar party, led by Vitaly Klitschko, is to submit a resolution to parliament demanding Viktor Yanukovych’s immediate resignation.
Spokeswoman Oksana Zinoviyeva told Reuters the move would allow parliament to set a date for early elections.
On Thursday, police opened fire on protesters who have been occupying Independence Square in central Kiev. The health ministry said 77 people – both protesters and police – had been killed since Tuesday in the worst violence since protests began in November.
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Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition protesters have agreed to an early presidential poll before the end of the year.
The election is part of a deal to end the country’s political crisis.
The deal has not been published, but Viktor Yanukovych referred to a national unity government and constitutional changes reducing the president’s power.
The compromise came after hours of talks between mediated by three European foreign ministers.
The German and Polish ministers met protesters in Kiev’s Independence Square before announcing their leaders backed the deal.
The agreement was later signed by opposition leaders and Viktor Yanukovych at the presidential administration headquarters in Kiev.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski tweeted that the deal was a “good compromise for Ukraine” which would open the way “to reform and to Europe”.
Ukrainian broadcaster ICTV said it had seen a copy of the agreement, which included three main proposals:
- The 2004 constitution will be restored within 48 hours, and a national unity government will be formed within 10 days
- Constitutional reform balancing the powers of president, government and parliament will be started immediately and completed by September
- A presidential election will be held after the new constitution is adopted but no later than December 2014
Despite the agreement, isolated outbursts of violence were reported in central Kiev on Friday morning.
Ukrainian health ministry said 77 people had been killed since Tuesday, and another 577 were injured
The police said they had traded gunfire with protesters, and Ukrainian media said riot police were patrolling inside parliament during a session.
Lawmakers once again began the session with scuffles, as the speaker tried to adjourn a debate about constitutional reform.
Viktor Yanukovych announced the deal early on Friday, but initially gave no details.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said there had been an agreement that nobody would publicize the deal until it had been confirmed.
However, the president later gave more details and said in a statement that he would initiate the process of constitutional reform and call an early election.
The deal came after the bloodiest day since the unrest began.
Police opened fire early on Thursday 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.
On Friday the US State Department issued a travel warning advising its citizens to “defer non-essential travel” to Ukraine, saying that it had authorized “the departure of all family members of US government personnel from Ukraine”.
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Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych says he has reached a deal with the opposition to end the crisis, after all-night talks mediated by three EU foreign ministers.
Viktor Yanukovych’s statement said the agreement would be signed later.
However, the French foreign minister voiced caution, saying the deal was not definitive, and the opposition has not confirmed Viktor Yanukovych’s claim.
Protesters and police are still locked in a stand-off in Kiev, a day after dozens were killed in violent clashes.
Hours after Viktor Yanukovych announced the deal, more violence was reported in central Kiev.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych says he has reached a deal with the opposition to end the crisis
The police said they had traded gunfire with protesters, and Ukrainian media said riot police were patrolling inside parliament during a session.
The protests first erupted in late November when President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a landmark association and trade deal with the EU in favor 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.
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EU foreign ministers have decided to impose sanctions on Ukrainian officials “responsible for violence and excessive force”.
According to a statement released by the EU foreign ministers, targeted sanctions including asset freezes and visa bans would be introduced “as a matter of urgency”.
At least 21 anti-government protesters died in clashes in Kiev on Thursday.
Officials said that one policeman had also died and that 67 police had been captured by protesters.
“No circumstances can justify the repression we are currently witnessing,” the statement from EU foreign ministers said.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the “prime responsibility” to get talks between the two sides under way lay with President Viktor Yanukovych.
At least 21 anti-government protesters died in clashes in Kiev on Thursday
Speaking after an emergency meeting of EU foreign minsters in Brussels, Catherine Ashton said ministers had expressed their “dismay” at the latest violence and had agreed to “suspend export licences for equipment for internal repression”.
Implementation of the measures “will be taken forward in light of developments in Ukraine”, she added.
The EU has until now refrained from imposing sanctions on Ukraine, preferring to emphasise dialogue and compromise.
The US state department had already announced visa bans on 20 members of the Ukrainian government but has not provided any names.
At least 21 protesters were killed by security forces in Kiev on Thursday following the breakdown of a truce the previous day. Officials say 67 people have now died in violence since Tuesday.
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New reports claim that at least 21 protesters have been killed by security forces in Kiev following the breakdown of a truce agreed on Wednesday.
According to eyewitnesses some died as a result of single gunshot wounds, typical of sniper fire.
Officials said that one policeman had died and that 67 police had been captured by protesters.
Meanwhile, three EU foreign ministers have held five hours of talks with President Viktor Yanukovych.
Eyewitnesses have told international news agencies that they have counted between 21 and 27 protesters’ bodies after clashes in Kiev.
Video footage has emerged apparently showing snipers firing on demonstrators who had been trying to retake their protest camp in Independence Square.
Officials said more than 20 policemen had also been injured.
Witnesses reported live rounds, petrol bombs and water cannon being used at Independence Square during this morning’s clashes.
An opposition Twitter feed posted an image of 13 bodies in a makeshift mortuary in the lobby of the Hotel Ukraine.
At least 21 protesters have been killed by security forces in Kiev following the breakdown of a truce agreed on Wednesday
The hotel is serving as the base for all foreign media in Kiev.
Earlier, several dozen protesters were using the lobby as a triage centre for the wounded.
Protesters – some of them armed – asked hotel guests for blankets to use as bandages.
A statement on the presidential website blames the opposition for starting the violence, saying the “calls for a truce and dialogue were nothing but a way of playing for time to mobilise and arm militants from Maidan [Independence Square]”.
Opposition leaders called the violence “an act of provocation” by the authorities.
The foreign ministers of France, Poland and Germany conducted five hours of discussions with Viktor Yanukovych, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius tweeted.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski tweeted that he would now stay in Kiev to meet opposition leaders to test a “proposed agreement”, although it was not clear what the details of the agreement were.
Other EU foreign ministers, along with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, have convened at an emergency meeting in Brussels to discuss possible sanctions.
They could include a possible ban on sales of equipment that might be used for internal repression.
Separately, the head of the Kiev city administration resigned from Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of the Regions.
Thursday had been declared a day of mourning for those killed in clashes on Tuesday.
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Ukrainian police and anti-government protesters are clashing again, despite a truce agreed between President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders.
Some live rounds have been fired but it is not clear by whom. Protesters are throwing petrol bombs, while police are using water cannon.
Three EU foreign ministers are in Kiev for talks before an EU meeting to discuss possible sanctions.
The health ministry says the death toll in protests this week has risen to 28.
Fires burned at the main protest camp, the Maidan, through the night.
Two armored vehicles have been seen in the street leading towards the square.
Thursday has been declared a day of mourning for the dead.
Most of the victims died during clashes on Tuesday – the bloodiest day since the unrest erupted in late November.
Ukrainian police and anti-government protesters are clashing again, despite a truce agreed between President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his counterparts from France and Poland, Laurent Fabius and Radoslaw Sikorski, are expected to meet President Viktor Yanukovych and other government officials on Thursday morning.
The EU ministers will also hold separate talks with the opposition.
Ahead of the Kiev visit, Laurent Fabius called the warring sides to “return to dialogue”, condemning the violence as “unacceptable”.
“Perpetrators of these acts cannot go without sanctions.”
The three ministers will then fly to Brussels for a crisis meeting with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and other EU foreign ministers.
They will consider whether to impose sanctions, which could include a ban on sales of equipment which can be used for internal repression.
The Ukrainian opposition has been long pressing the EU and US to impose sanctions against senior government officials believed to be responsible for the violence against protesters.
The EU has so far refrained from such a move, preferring to stress dialogue and compromise.
Meanwhile, the US state department announced on Wednesday it had imposed visa bans on 20 members of Ukraine’s government.
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The last of 243 Ukrainian protesters detained during almost three months of unrest have been freed, the opposition has confirmed.
But charges will not be dropped unless protesters vacate government buildings and clear a barricade in Kiev, the authorities warned.
Many of the freed detainees will remain under house arrest.
After the releases, the opposition said it would comply with some of the government’s demands.
The detainees were released under an amnesty passed last month to defuse an increasingly violent stand-off.
The last of 243 Ukrainian protesters detained during almost three months of unrest have been freed
Ukraine has been gripped by demonstrations since President Viktor Yanukovych abandoned plans to sign a far-ranging association agreement with the EU in November.
Instead, he advocated closer trade relations with Russia, which dominated Ukraine for centuries until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Dmytro Poltavets was the last jailed demonstrator to be released, according to the Headquarters of National Resistance, which unites Ukraine’s three leading opposition parties.
He had been detained on 23 January on Hrushevskyy Street in central Kiev, the scene of clashes with riot police, on a charge of joining in mass disturbances.
Prosecutor-General Viktor Pshonka said that if protesters met the conditions of the amnesty by Monday, all criminal cases against the detainees would be closed within a month.
The conditions include vacating Kiev city hall and other buildings, and clearing barricades on Hrushevskyy Street.
In a statement, the opposition movement said it would partially re-open the street to traffic.
A new mass protest rally has been called for Sunday, on the capital’s Independence Square.
President Vladimir Putin met his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics, officials say.
Neither side would confirm what was discussed during the informal conversation during the opening ceremony in the Russian city of Sochi.
Russia has frozen delivery of a $15 billion bailout program pending the formation of a new government in Kiev.
Mass anti-government protests erupted in Ukraine in late November.
Vladimir Putin met his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics
Under pressure from Moscow, Viktor Yanukovych had refused to sign a far-reaching association and trade agreement with the EU.
Amid continuing protests, Viktor Yanukovych has accepted the resignation of PM Mykola Azarov – widely seen as pro-Moscow – and a new prime minister has yet to be nominated.
The meeting between Vladimir Putin and Viktor Yanukovych in Sochi on Friday evening was confirmed by senior Russian and Ukrainian officials.
There was no information about what was discussed, but correspondents speculate it was likely to include the suspended Russian financial package – which Ukraine desperately needs in the face of a sliding currency, dwindling foreign reserves and rising borrowing costs.
Viktor Yanukovych’s meeting with Vladimir Putin follows talks in Kiev last Wednesday between Yanukovych and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a US official’s apparent insult of the EU’s efforts to mediate in the Ukraine crisis is “totally unacceptable”.
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department of State Victoria Nuland has apologized after a voice resembling hers used a graphic swear word in a conversation said to be with the US ambassador to Ukraine.
A recording of the apparently bugged conversation was posted online, with the US hinting at Russia’s involvement.
The EU and the US are involved in talks to end months of unrest in Ukraine.
After meeting Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych in Kiev, Victoria Nuland said she would not make a public statement on the matter.
“I will not comment on a private diplomatic conversation,” she told reporters.
Mass anti-government protests erupted in Ukraine in late November after President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign a far-reaching association and trade agreement with the EU – under heavy pressure from Moscow.
After meeting Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych in Kiev, Victoria Nuland said she would not make a public statement on the matter
Russia has been widely accused of using its economic clout to persuade Viktor Yanukovych not to pursue closer ties with Brussels.
Russia has itself accused Washington and the EU of meddling in Ukraine.
German spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz said Angela Merkel fully supported the work EU policy chief Catherine Ashton had been doing to find a solution to the crisis.
“The chancellor finds these remarks totally unacceptable and wants to emphasize that Mrs. Ashton is doing an outstanding job,” Christiane Wirtz said.
The alleged conversation between Victoria Nuland and the US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, appeared on YouTube on Thursday.
The 4min 10sec video was entitled “Maidan’s puppets” in Russian – a reference to the square in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, where pro-EU protests have been held for months. A transcription of the whole conversation was also posted in Russian.
At one point, the female speaker mentions the UN and its attempts to find a solution to the Ukraine stand-off.
She says: “So that would be great, I think, to help glue this thing and have the UN help glue it and you know…” she then uses the swear word about the EU.
An apparently bugged phone conversation in which a senior US diplomat denigrates the EU over the Ukraine crisis has been posted online.
A female voice resembling that of Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland refers to the EU using a swear word, in a conversation apparently with US ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt.
The US said Victoria Nuland had “apologized for these reported comments”.
The EU and the US are involved in talks to end months of unrest in Ukraine.
Mass anti-government protests erupted in Ukraine in late November after President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign a far-reaching association and trade agreement with the EU – under heavy pressure from Moscow.
Russia has been widely accused of intervening in Ukraine, using its economic clout to persuade Viktor Yanukovych to abandon closer ties with Brussels.
Russia has itself accused Washington and the EU of meddling in Ukraine.
The alleged conversation between Victoria Nuland and the US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, appeared on YouTube on Thursday.
The 4 min 10sec video was entitled “Maidan’s puppets” in Russian – a reference to the square in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, where pro-EU protests have been held for months. A transcription of the whole conversation was also posted in Russian.
At one point, the female speaker mentions the UN and its possible role in trying to find a solution to the Ukraine stand-off.
She says: “So that would be great, I think, to help glue this thing and have the UN help glue it and you know…” she then uses the swear word about the EU.
Victoria Nuland joined Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt on Maidan Square during her visit to Kiev in December
The male replies: “We’ve got to do something to make it stick together, because you can be pretty sure that if it does start to gain altitude the Russians will be working behind the scenes to try to torpedo it.”
The two officials also discuss frankly the merits of the three main Ukrainian opposition leaders – Vitaly Klitschko, Arseniy Yatseniuk and Oleh Tyahnybok.
The female speaker says that Vitaly Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing world champion, should not be in any new government.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
She adds: “I think Yats [Arseniy Yatseniuk] is the guy who’s got the economic experience.”
US officials refused to confirm or deny the tape’s authenticity, but state department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said: “I didn’t say it was inauthentic.”
Jennifer Psaki said Victoria Nuland had “been in contact with her EU counterparts and of course has apologized for these reported comments”.
She also played down the comments about Ukraine’s opposition, saying: “It shouldn’t be a surprise that at any points there have been discussions about recent events and offers and what is happening on the ground.”
Jennifer Psaki hinted that the tape could have been leaked by Moscow, pointing out that a senior Russian official was one of the first to draw attention to the audio.
She said: “We think this is a new low in Russian trade-craft. This is something they’ve been actively promoting, posting on, tweeting about.”
White House spokesman Jay Carney added: “I would say that since the video was first noted and tweeted out by the Russian government, I think it says something about Russia’s role.”
Earlier on Thursday, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Washington of interfering in Ukraine’s domestic affairs.
Sergei Glazyev said the US was spending $20 million (14.8 million euros) a week on Ukrainian opposition groups, supplying “rebels” with arms among other things.
And he suggested that Moscow could also intervene.
Viktor Yanukovych held talks in Kiev with Victoria Nuland on Thursday, at which he said he favored dialogue and compromise with the opposition.
The Ukrainian leader is to meet Vladimir Putin on Friday on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
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Ukraine’s parliament is continuing crisis talks to try to change the constitution – a move aimed at curtailing the powers of President Viktor Yanukovych.
This is a key demand by the opposition, who has warned that parliament’s failure to act now will further inflame mass anti-government protests.
Pro-presidential MPs oppose the move, and the speaker has given until Wednesday morning to find a compromise.
Kiev’s decision to reject an EU deal in November triggered the protests.
At least six people have died in violence since then, and a number of Ukrainian politicians have warned that the country might plunge into civil war.
The opposition is pushing for a return to the 2004 constitution, which would mean President Viktor Yanukovych losing some of the powers he has gained since his election in 2010.
The changes envisage that parliament – not the president – will be appointing the prime minister and cabinet members as well as regional governors.
Ukraine’s opposition MPs seek to curb president’s powers
There were emotional scenes earlier on Tuesday and MPs began debating the issue.
“I call on everyone to take the constitutional route and stop dictatorship,” the leader of the opposition Udar (Punch) Party and former world heavyweight boxing champion, Vitaliy Klitschko, told parliament.
“Let us reinstate the constitution that allows MPs to take decisions instead of just pushing buttons.”
Vitaliy Klitschko also stressed that snap presidential elections were crucial to regain the trust of the people.
But the leader of President Viktor Yanukovych’s Regions Party in parliament, Oleksandr Yefremov, accused the opposition of being irresponsible.
“They [opposition leaders] are fighting not for what people want, but for power,” he said in a speech delivered amid shouting.
“Ukraine is going through perhaps the most dramatic period in its recent history. Any further escalation of the conflict may lead to civil confrontation and result in catastrophic consequences,” he added.
At one point during the proceedings, some opposition MPs shouted “murderers!”.
They were referring to the death of protesters over recent weeks as anti-government activists clashed with riot police.
Protesters blame the government for the deaths, but officials reject these accusations.
Later on Tuesday, the speaker of parliament, Volodymyr Rybak, gave lawmakers until 10:00 local time on Wednesday to try to find a compromise on the constitutional changes.
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Russia has urged Ukraine’s opposition leaders to end their campaign of “ultimatums and threats” and to step up negotiations with the government.
Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow was concerned by activists’ attempts to “inflame” the situation.
Protesters in Kiev have repeated their calls for the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych, who is now back at work after four days of illness.
The EU and the US are considering a big loan to help debt-laden Ukraine.
Russia has urged Ukraine’s opposition leaders to end their campaign of “ultimatums and threats” and to step up negotiations with the government
“We are looking at how we could support the Ukraine in the times of the crisis when it comes to the economic and political situation,” a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Monday.
No further details of the plan have been revealed, but both EU and US officials said it would be conditional on Kiev embracing “real reform”.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso insisted that the EU was not going to enter into a “bidding competition” with Russia to win Ukraine’s loyalty.
Russia promised a $15 billion aid package to Ukraine last year, but has indicated the next tranche will not be given until a new government is formed, following the resignation of the prime minister and cabinet last week.
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Ukrainian opposition activist Dmytro Bulatov, who says he was abducted and tortured in Kiev, has left the country for medical treatment.
Dmytro Bulatov has flown to Latvia. It was reported earlier that his final destination was Lithuania.
The protest leader appeared on TV last week with a gash on his face and part of his ear cut off. He said he had been held and beaten for eight days.
Dmytro Bulatov’s case became a new rallying point for protesters, who want President Viktor Yanukovych to resign.
Thousands are currently in Maidan square, a focal point for the protesters.
Viktor Yanukovych has offered a number of concessions and his cabinet quit their jobs.
But the demonstrators, many of whom want to see closer ties with the EU rather than Russia, have not been placated.
Dmytro Bulatov was a leader of a group called Automaidan, made up mainly of drivers who would protect the protest camps and blockade streets.
Dmytro Bulatov says he was abducted and tortured in Kiev
He went missing on January 22 and re-emerged eight days later on the outskirts of Kiev.
Dmytro Bulatov told the media he had been “crucified” by his abductors, who he could not identify other than to say they had Russian accents.
Opposition politicians Western diplomats expressed outrage at the incident.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton condemned the “deliberate targeting of organizers and participants of peaceful protests”.
On Sunday, opposition leader Vitali Klitschko said European diplomats had helped to arrange medical care outside Ukraine.
“Now everything is done in that regard to finalize everything and give him a possibility to leave abroad for further treatment,” he said.
Dmytro Bulatov left Kiev on Sunday evening on a flight to the Latvian capital Riga.
On Friday, interior ministry investigators turned up at the hospital, apparently with a court order for the detention of Dmytro Bulatov.
But protesters had already arrived and prevented the investigators from questioning him.
Officials have suggested his account of the abduction might have been fabricated.
“The only thing he has is a scratch on one of his cheeks,” Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara told broadcaster al-Jazeera.
“It looks like the alleged story that he was kidnapped and tortured is not absolutely true.”
Ukraine’s foreign ministry later said the comments did not reflect Leonid Kozhara’s “real attitude to the tragic situation”, and said the minister wished Dmytro Bulatov a speed recovery.
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The ongoing debate over the future of Ukraine has exposed a deep rift between the opposing visions of the EU, US and Russia at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said the “future of Ukraine belongs with the EU” while US Secretary of State John Kerry said the US backed Ukraine’s “fight for democracy”.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused those defending violent protests of double standards.
Ukraine has been in turmoil since November, when it scrapped an EU accord in favor of a Russian bailout.
The security conference is an annual event held to discuss military and political affairs.
Herman Van Rompuy’s opening speech referred to the EU’s offer of close association with Ukraine.
“The offer is still there and we know time is on our side. The future of Ukraine belongs with the European Union,” he said.
John Kerry launched a broad attack on “a disturbing trend in too many parts of Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans”.
He said: “The aspirations of citizens are once again being trampled beneath corrupt, oligarchic interests – interests that use money to stifle political opposition and dissent, to buy politicians and media outlets, and to weaken judicial independence.”
John Kerry added: “Nowhere is the fight for a democratic, European future more important today than in Ukraine. The United States and EU stand with the people of Ukraine in that fight.”
The secretary of state said the “vast majority of Ukrainians want to live freely in a safe and prosperous country – they are fighting for the right to associate with partners who will help them realize their aspirations”.
In an apparent swipe at Moscow, John Kerry added that “their futures do not have to lie with one country alone, and certainly not coerced”.
Sergei Lavrov said that a “choice is being imposed [on Ukraine] and Russia is not going to be engaged in this”.
He asked: “What does incitement of violent street protests have to do with the promotion of democracy? Why do we not hear condemnation of those who seize government buildings and attack police and use racist, anti-Semitic and Nazi slogans?”
Secretary of State John Kerry had harsh words for corruption in Eastern Europe and the Balkans at Munich Security Conference
Sergei Lavrov said: “Why are many prominent European politicians actually encouraging such actions, although back home they are quick to severely punish any violations of the law?”
Interfax also quoted Sergei Lavrov as saying: “When John Kerry… says that Ukraine should choose who it is with – with the whole world or with one country, Kerry – with his experience, good sense – is the last person I would expect such propaganda from.”
On Saturday John Kerry is scheduled to meet Ukraine opposition leaders said to include Arseniy Yatsenyuk, boxer-turned-politician Vitaly Klitschko, legislator Petro Poroshenko and pop star Ruslana Lyzhychko.
The White House has confirmed it is discussing possible sanctions against Ukraine with the US Congress.
It was unclear whether John Kerry will meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara, who is at the summit.
Before arriving in Munich, John Kerry said that concessions from President Viktor Yanukovych had “not yet reached an adequate level of reform”.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who heads the Batkivshchyna party, recently refused an offer from President Viktor Yanukovych to become PM, one of the concessions.
President Viktor Yanukovych, who is currently on sick leave, has also tried to ease the crisis by repealing anti-protest laws, signing an amnesty for protesters and accepting the resignation of his cabinet.
However, opposition leaders are calling for his resignation and early elections.
One key issue for John Kerry and the opposition leaders will be the issue of Ukraine protester Dmytro Bulatov.
Activist Dmytro Bulatov went missing for eight days and said he had been kidnapped and tortured by captors who spoke with Russian accents.
He is now in hospital in Kiev under guard from both police and anti-government demonstrators.
Both White House spokesman Jay Carney and EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said they were “appalled” by the apparent signs of torture.
US ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt went to the hospital on Saturday to try to meet Dmytro Bulatov.
Ukraine’s interior ministry says it wants to interrogate Dmytro Bulatov on suspicion of organizing mass unrest, and to examine his account of torture.
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Ukraine’s leading activist Dmytro Bulatov, who vanished for eight days, says he was abducted and tortured before being left to die in the cold.
Dmytro Bulatov, who organized car protests for the opposition camped out in Kiev, is being treated in hospital after being found near the capital.
Police have confirmed Dmytro Bulatov, 35, received an ear injury and bruising.
In another development, the army called on President Viktor Yanukovych to take “urgent steps” to ease the crisis.
Three protesters and three police officers have been killed, and scores injured on both sides, since the protests turned violent on January 22.
Opposition to Viktor Yanukovych spilled into the streets in November after he abandoned a trade deal with the EU in favor of closer economic ties with Russia.
President Viktor Yanukovych accused the opposition of seeking to “inflame” the situation on Thursday by continuing the protests despite moves by the government and parliament to ease the stand-off.
Ukraine’s leading activist Dmytro Bulatov, who vanished for eight days, says he was abducted and tortured before being left to die in the cold
Parliament voted to annul a recently enacted law restricting protests and passed a law giving amnesty to detained protesters, under the condition that occupied buildings were vacated.
Anti-government demonstrators remain in their camp in Independence Square (Maidan) with no sign of the political crisis in the country coming to an end.
President Viktor Yanukovych, 63, has gone on sick leave, with his staff reporting he has a respiratory illness and a high fever.
Dmytro Bulatov says he was left to die by his captors after being kidnapped, repeatedly beaten and “crucified”. He was, he said, hung up by his wrists.
“They crucified me, so there are holes in my hands now,” he said.
“Other than that – they cut off my ear, cut up my face. My whole body is a mess. You can see everything. I am alive. Thank God for this.”
Dmytro Bulatov reportedly said he did not know who had abducted him but his abductors had spoken with Russian accents.
According to the Ukrainian news website Gazeta.ua, doctors found no damage to his internal organs or his skull.
Police in Kiev have confirmed Dmytro Bulatov was bruised and received a cut to one of his ears, Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda reports.
Police have opened an investigation and posted guards at the hospital where he is being treated.
According to the paper, they also expressed indignation that Dmytro Bulatov had not phoned them after his release.
Dmytro Bulatov is a prominent anti-government activist as one of the leaders of the organization Automaidan, a group that has patrolled streets around Independence Square.
It has also driven in convoys to protest outside government ministers’ homes.
Vitali Klitschko, one of the most prominent leaders of the protesters, visited Dmytro Bulatov in hospital.
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Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych has taken sick leave amid violent protests in the country.
The presidential website said 63-year-old Viktor Yanukovych had a respiratory illness and a high fever.
The protests began in November after Viktor Yanukovych reversed a decision to sign a trade deal with the European Union, instead favoring a bailout deal with Russia to underpin Ukraine’s ailing economy.
Anti-government protesters demanding the president’s resignation are still occupying government buildings and manning barricades in freezing temperatures in the centre of the capital.
The past week has seen President Yanukovych accept the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his cabinet, and offer senior jobs to the opposition – offers that were rejected.
Ukraine’s parliament has also voted to annul a recently enacted law restricting protests – which appeared to be inflaming the situation – and passed a law giving amnesty to detained protesters, under the condition that occupied buildings were vacated.
Viktor Yanukovych had a respiratory illness and a high fever
Some opposition figures expressed skepticism about Viktor Yanukovych’s reported illness, saying he might be trying to buy time after being forced into concessions in an attempt to calm unrest on the streets.
“This smacks of a diplomatic illness,” Rostislav Pavlenko, a member of boxer-turned-politician Vitaly Klitschko’s Udar (Punch) party, told Reuters news agency.
“It allows Yanukovych not to sign laws, not to meet the opposition, absent himself from decisions to solve the political crisis.”
Mykhailo Chechetov, from Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions, said the president had told supporters in parliament on Wednesday night that he had come to support the passage of the amnesty bill directly from hospital.
“He looked ill,” Mykhailo Chechetov added.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, is in Kiev for talks with both sides. On Wednesday she said she was “shocked” by the violence in the capital and across the country in recent weeks that has left several protesters and police officers dead.
Leonid Kravchuk, Ukraine’s first post-independence president, has warned the country is on the “brink of civil War” as parliament debates an amnesty for protesters.
Leonid Kravchuk, president from 1991 to 1994, opened the debate in parliament by urging everyone involved to “act with the greatest responsibility”.
President Viktor Yanukovych wants any amnesty conditional on demonstrators leaving official buildings.
The opposition has so far ruled this out and is demanding early elections.
On Tuesday, PM Mykola Azarov and his cabinet resigned after months of protests.
Parliament also scrapped a controversial anti-protest law in the biggest concession yet to opposition protesters.
Leonid Kravchuk earned a standing ovation in parliament after telling members that “all the world acknowledges and Ukraine acknowledges that the state is on the brink of civil war”.
“It is a revolution. It is a dramatic situation in which we must act with the greatest responsibility,” he said.
Demonstrations began in November when President Viktor Yanukovych pulled out of a planned trade deal with the EU in favor of a $15 billion bailout from Russia to bolster ailing public finances in the former Soviet state.
President Viktor Yanukovych wants any amnesty conditional on demonstrators leaving official buildings
The White House on Tuesday said the issue of a possible amnesty for scores of detained protesters had been raised in a telephone conversation between Vice-President Joe Biden and President Viktor Yanukovych.
The White House said Joe Biden welcomed “progress made” and called on Viktor Yanukovych to sign the repeal of several anti-protest laws.
On Tuesday, PM Mykola Azarov said he was stepping down to create “social and political compromise”. His deputy, Serhiy Arbuzov, has stepped in as interim leader.
Members of his cabinet also resigned, but they can remain in their posts for 60 days until a new government is formed.
Parliament, in an emergency debate on Tuesday, voted to repeal anti-protest legislation, which among other measures banned the wearing of helmets by protesters and the blockading of public buildings.
Correspondents say Mykola Azarov was deeply unpopular with the opposition, who accused him of mismanaging the economy and failing to tackle corruption.
Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has criticized what he called foreign “interference” in Ukraine.
Speaking at the end of an EU-Russia summit in Brussels on Tuesday, Vladimir Putin said visits by overseas envoys were adding to the unrest.
“I think that the Ukrainian people are capable of solving this on their own,” he said.
“I can only imagine how our European partners would respond if in the heat of a crisis in a country like Greece or Cyprus, our foreign minister would appear at one of their anti-European rallies and begin addressing them.”
Correspondents say Vladimir Putin’s comments appear to be a thinly veiled criticism of the EU and other Western nations that have sent a string of diplomats to Ukraine in recent weeks.
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Ukraine’s PM Mykola Azarov has offered his resignation.
In a statement, Mykola Azarov said the move was designed to create “social and political compromise”.
In his resignation statement, PM Mykola Azarov said: “To create additional opportunities for social and political compromise and for a peaceful solution to the conflict, I made a personal decision to ask the president of Ukraine to accept my resignation as prime minister of Ukraine.”
Mykola Azarov said his resignation was designed to create social and political compromise
The government had “done everything to ensure the peaceful resolution of the conflict” and would do “everything possible to prevent bloodshed, an escalation of violence, and violation of citizen’s rights”, he said.
If President Viktor Yanukovych signs the decree for the resignation, then the whole cabinet resigns. But they can remain in their posts for 60 days until a new government is formed.
Viktor Yanukovych had already offered Mykola Azarov’s job to the opposition at the weekend, proposing that Fatherland leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk take the post.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk declined the offer.
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Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders have agreed to scrap anti-protest laws that had fuelled anger at the government, the presidency announces.
Viktor Yanukovych also offered an amnesty to protesters, but only if they cleared barricades and stopped attacking government buildings.
The president made the offer in talks with the three main opposition leaders.
The demonstrators had demanded the protest law be repealed, but they also want Viktor Yanukovych to quit.
The law was hastily passed in parliament by Viktor Yanukovych loyalists on January 16.
President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders have agreed to scrap anti-protest laws that had fuelled anger at the government
The changes included a ban on unauthorized tents in public areas, and criminal responsibility for slandering government officials.
Correspondents say it is likely to be overturned during a special session of parliament on Tuesday, arranged last week to discuss the crisis.
The law angered protesters and helped to spread unrest across Ukraine, even to Viktor Yanukovych’s Russian-speaking strongholds in the east.
The protesters, closely allied to the opposition parties, targeted government buildings and have briefly occupied several ministries in Kiev.
Viktor Yanukovych began the latest round of talks on Monday evening with Fatherland leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Udar (Punch) chief Vitali Klitschko, and nationalist leader Oleg Tyahnybok.
Meanwhile, top EU diplomat Catherine Ashton has brought forward a planned visit to Ukraine by 48 hours and will now arrive on Tuesday for meetings with Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders.
She said she was “alarmed” by reports on Monday that the government was preparing to introduce a state of emergency.
Multiple reports had suggested that the government was intending to invoke a state of emergency, but officials later said they had no such plan.
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Ukraine’s Justice Minister Olena Lukash has warned anti-government protesters occupying her ministry she will call for a state of emergency if they do not leave.
Olena Lukash told local media she would ask the National Security and Defense Council to introduce the measures.
Protesters seized the building in Kiev late on Sunday and set up barricades outside with bags of snow.
Unrest is spreading across Ukraine, with activists taking over municipal buildings in several towns and cities.
Buildings have come under attack even in eastern areas, which have traditionally had closer ties with Russia and where President Viktor Yanukovych has enjoyed strong support.
The crisis was sparked by the president’s decision not to sign a deal with the European Union, and has escalated with the deaths of four activists in recent days.
Correspondents say protesters entered the justice ministry building in the capital without resistance.
Unrest is spreading across Ukraine, with activists taking over municipal buildings in several towns and cities
“The seizure of the Ministry of Justice is a symbolic act of the people of the uprising. Now, these authorities are stripped of justice,” one protester told reporters.
But Olena Lukash told Inter TV channel: “If the protesters do not leave the justice ministry building… I will ask the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to impose the state of emergency.”
The minister is an ally of President Viktor Yanukovych and involved in the ongoing negotiations between the government and protest leaders.
She said she would be “forced to turn to the Ukrainian president with a request to stop the negotiations unless the justice ministry building is vacated without delay and the negotiators are given a chance to find a peaceful solution to the conflict”.
Last week, the parliament of the Crimean Autonomous Republic – seen as a staunch supporter of Viktor Yanukovych – also urged the president to declare a state of emergency.
The government has previously insisted it would not resort to the army, a measure our correspondent says would likely further antagonize the protesters and worsen the violence.
The parliament is due to meet for an extraordinary session on Tuesday, but the speaker has previously said a state of emergency will not be under discussion.
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Arseniy Yatsenyuk has announced that Ukraine’s opposition protests will continue after he rejected President Viktor Yanukovych’s offer to appoint him as prime minister.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the opposition was generally ready to accept leadership, but several key demands must be met, including new elections.
Clashes continued overnight. Activists stormed a Kiev building housing police.
Viktor Yanukovych’s proposal came amid new efforts to end the deadly unrest.
He offered the post of prime minister to Arseniy Yatsenyuk and the position of deputy PM to former boxer Vitali Klitschko following talks on Saturday.
The opposition – confident in its position – appears to have taken these offers as a sign of weakness on Viktor Yanukovych’s part, and is forging ahead with the campaign to unseat him.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk has announced that Ukraine’s opposition protests will continue after he rejected President Viktor Yanukovych’s offer to appoint him as prime minister
Speaking to large crowds in central of Kiev late on Saturday, the opposition leaders repeated their demands.
“Viktor Yanukovych announced that the government wasn’t ready to take the responsibility for the country and offered to the opposition to lead the government,” said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
“What is our response to this? We are not afraid of the responsibility for the destiny of Ukraine.”
Later, Arseniy Yatsenyuk tweeted: “No deal @ua_yanukovych, we’re finishing what we started. The people decide our leaders, not you.”
Arseniy Yatsenyuk says that Tuesday, when a special session of parliament has been called, will be “judgement day”.
The opposition is demanding that a free trade agreement with the EU be signed and political prisoners be freed, including former PM Yulia Tymoshenko.
They are also demanding early presidential elections. A vote is not due until 2015.
Vitali Klitschko told the crowd that they would press ahead with their demands and that talks would continue: “We are not turning back and we will keep discussing and trying to find a direction.”
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President Viktor Yanukovych has offered the position of Ukraine’s prime minister to one of the opposition leaders, Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
The offer came after talks on Saturday with opposition leaders in a new effort to end the worsening unrest that has spread across Ukraine.
Earlier, protesters in Kiev tried to occupy the energy ministry.
The protests began in November after Ukraine decided not to sign an accord on more co-operation with the EU.
Instead, the government opted to deepen ties with neighboring Russia.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk is the parliamentary leader of Ukraine’s second biggest party, Fatherland
The crisis escalated this week when two activists were killed, and another was found dead with torture marks in a forest near the capital.
A fourth, 45-year-old protester is said to have died in a Kiev hospital on Saturday, after sustaining injuries in earlier violence.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk, parliamentary leader of the country’s second biggest party, Fatherland, has not commented on the president’s offer.
He is an ally of the jailed ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko.
Viktor Yanukovych has also offered the post of deputy prime minister for humanitarian issues to the former boxer, Vitali Klitschko, who is leader of the Udar (Punch) movement.
In addition, Ukrainian media report that Viktor Yanukovych has said he is ready to amend the constitution to reduce the president’s powers.
The opposition has previously demanded that Viktor Yanukovych step down.
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Ukraine anti-government protests are expanding after talks between the opposition and President Viktor Yanukovych stalled.
In western Ukraine, the protesters seized the regional government office in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk and are storming another one in Chernivtsi.
Protests were reported in Lutsk, in the north-west, and Sumy, in the east.
Meanwhile, President Viktor Yanukovych has vowed use “all legal means” if a solution to the crisis is not found.
The president also promised to amend anti-protests laws rushed through parliament last week and reshuffle the government at an urgent session of parliament due to begin on Tuesday.
In the capital Kiev, new barricades were erected overnight as the main protest camp expanded.
Freezing demonstrators in Kiev’s Independence Square – widely known as the Maidan – also occupied a government building as a truce with riot police continued.
Meanwhile, the parliament of the Crimean Autonomous Republic – seen as a staunch supporter of Viktor Yanukovych – urged the president to declare a state of emergency.
Ukraine anti-government protests are expanding after talks between the opposition and President Viktor Yanukovych stalled
In other developments on Friday:
- Germany and France are summoning Ukraine’s ambassadors over recent deadly clashes in Kiev
- the EU’s enlargement commissioner, Stefan Fuele, has held talks in Kiev with Viktor Yanukovych and is due to meet opposition leaders
- Viktor Yanukovych names Security and Defense Secretary Andriy Kluyev as new head of the presidential administration
The crisis escalated this week when the first deaths in the unrest happened.
In Ivano-Frankivsk, some 1,500 protesters occupied the regional administration and barricaded themselves in the building, according to the Ukrainska Pravda website.
The protesters are now demanding that the local governor should resign immediately.
In Chernivsti, crowds stormed the governor’s office as police tried to protect the building. People shouted “Shame on you!” and “Resign!”
In Lutsk, a big demonstration is being held outside the local administration. Unrest was also seen in Sumy.
Meanwhile, in Lviv protesters have now built barricades around the governor’s office that they seized on Thursday. There were also reports that some members of the special police, Berkut, were resigning.
In Kiev, masked activists stood guard around the newly-build defense barriers. Some activists were seen carrying riot shields captured from the police as trophies.
The barricades took shape on Hryshevskyy Street and also closer to the presidential administration building.
One group of protesters took control of the main agricultural ministry building, reportedly meeting no resistance.
Ministry workers were allowed to take their possessions but not permitted to go to work.
Interior Minister Vitali Zakharchenko issued a statement guaranteeing that police would not take action against the protest camp on Independence Square.
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