Ukraine officials, opposition hold talks
Iran Press TV
Sat Jan 25, 2014 5:53PM GMT
Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych is engaged in fresh talks with heads of opposition parties in a bid to contain the fast-moving violent uprising.
The president's office said talks began late Saturday with the three main opposition leaders, including Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR) leader and world boxing champion, Vitali Klitschko, Fatherland leader, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) leader, Oleg Tyagnybok.
The crisis talks come as Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko accused radical anti-government protesters of kidnapping three police officers and concealing guns in Kiev's Independence Square, where protesters have been based for more than two months.
On Thursday, the government and protest leaders held a five-hour meeting, after which they called for the protesters to leave their camp and the police to release the detainees.
However, the protesters dismissed the call and expanded their presence in central Kiev as well as other cities across the country.
The uneasy standoff between police and protesters in Kiev continued throughout Friday night and Saturday. Protesters continued throwing Molotov cocktails, fireworks and rocks at long lines of police officers who were dressed in riot gear and standing only a few meters away.
Similar protests have now erupted in 11 other cities, with thousands of people taking over government offices and joining the call for President Victor Yanukovych to resign.
This is while a third protester succumbed to his wounds sustained during clashes with the police.
MOL/HGH/SS
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