Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has announced that, to settle the crisis in Ukraine, he will initiate the reinstatement of the 2004 constitution and call early presidential elections.
He also called for starting the procedure of forming a government of national confidence.
"I am announcing steps that need to be made in order to restore peace and avoid more victims of the standoff," Yanukovych said in a statement available on the presidential website on Friday.
"These tragic days when Ukraine has taken the gravest losses and when people has died my duty is to state that human lives are very important. We should do our best to take joint steps to restore peace in Ukraine," Yanukovych said.
"I declare the steps that should be taken to restore calm and avoid new victims," the Ukrainian president said.
"I state that I initiate early presidential elections and return the 2004 Constitution by redistributing powers from the president to the parliament," Yanukovych said.
The president called "for starting a procedure of forming a government of national trust".
"As president of Ukraine and guarantor of the Constitution I do my duty before the people, Ukraine and God to preserve the state, people’s lives and for the sake of peace and calm on our land," Yanukovych said.
The Party of Regions faction in the Ukrainian parliament has hailed President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to call the early presidential election, to restore the 2004 Constitution and to create a government of national unity, a parliamentarian from the faction, Vladimir Oleynik said.
"We support all decisions made by the president," he said. "This is a compromise-based decision."
Agreement to resolve Ukrainian crisis is expected to be initialed in Kiev on Friday
An agreement intended to help resolve the crisis in Ukraine is expected to be initialed at the Ukrainian presidential administration headquarters at noon (2 pm Moscow time, 10 am GMT) on Friday, the presidential press service has reported.
Negotiations between Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, opposition leaders, European Union and Russian representatives have been completed, it said.
Kiev riots: violence continues as death toll rises. LIVE UPDATES
The negotiations that lasted 8 hours involved opposition leaders Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Oleh Tyahnybok and Vitali Klitschko, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Russian Human Rights Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin.
Ukraine: Party of Regions urging all opposing parties to lay down arms, sit at negotiating table
The parliamentary faction of the Party of Regions of Ukraine is calling on all opposing parties in Ukraine to lay down arms. "The Party of Regions faction is appealing to everyone involved in the confrontation to lay down their arms.
This deed will be your greatest contribution to Ukraine's future. We all should consolidate around the common goal of restoring peaceful life on our soil," the faction said in its address posted on the Party of Regions website.
"Blood has been shed for the first time in the years of Ukraine's independence. Unheard-of confrontation in the center of the capital and in the provinces has caused a lot of grief to Ukrainian families. It is sad to admit that not only the Ukrainian nation but also Ukrainian statehood are in the crosshairs. We should stop this fratricidal war for the sake of peace, for the sake of justice, and for the sake of Ukraine's future," it said.
Ukrainian Parliament bans anti-terrorist operation in Ukraine
The Ukrainian Parliament adopted a resolution by an almost unilateral vote on Thursday evening condemning the use of force against protesters and banning the Ukrainian Security Council's anti-terrorist operation in the country. The resolution was supported by 236 of the 238 MPs registered at the session hall.
Yanukovych ready for early votes as EU approves sanctions
Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych told EU envoys he was willing to hold early elections this year, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday, after clashes between anti-government protesters and police in Kiev left dozens dead.
The foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland held talks with Yanukovych on Thursday to negotiate a document that "possibly offers some hope towards breaking the chain of violence", Tusk told reporters in Warsaw.
"Among other things it was agreed with Yanukovych that there was a willingness to hold early elections this year, both presidential and parliamentary," Tusk said about the talks with France's Laurent Fabius, Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Poland's Radoslaw Sikorski.
Tusk added that Yanukovych was willing to form a national unity government in the next 10 days and to change the constitution before the summer.
The envoys held several hours of talks with Yanukovych and with the three main leaders of the opposition in Kiev, as the European Union agreed on Thursday to impose a travel ban and asset freeze on Ukrainians deemed responsible for human rights violations, violence and excessive use of force.
Sikorski took to Twitter late Thursday following talks with the opposition saying: "...on the way back to the President to help negotiations. Progress made but important differences remain."
Tusk called on Poles to declare their solidarity with neighbour Ukraine by lighting candles in windows across the country Friday evening in honour of those who died in Kiev.
Poland, an ex-communist country that joined the European Union in 2004, has long been an ardent advocate of Ukraine moving closer to the bloc, a move opposed by Kiev's former Soviet master Moscow.
The unrest in Ukraine was initially ignited by Yanukovych's shock decision in November to ditch a historic EU trade and political association agreement in favour of closer ties with Russia.
Yanukovych ready for early votes as EU approves sanctions
Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych told EU envoys he was willing to hold early elections this year, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday, after clashes between anti-government protesters and police in Kiev left dozens dead.
The foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland held talks with Yanukovych on Thursday to negotiate a document that "possibly offers some hope towards breaking the chain of violence", Tusk told reporters in Warsaw.
"Among other things it was agreed with Yanukovych that there was a willingness to hold early elections this year, both presidential and parliamentary," Tusk said about the talks with France's Laurent Fabius, Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Poland's Radoslaw Sikorski.
Tusk added that Yanukovych was willing to form a national unity government in the next 10 days and to change the constitution before the summer.
The envoys held several hours of talks with Yanukovych and with the three main leaders of the opposition in Kiev, as the European Union agreed on Thursday to impose a travel ban and asset freeze on Ukrainians deemed responsible for human rights violations, violence and excessive use of force.
Sikorski took to Twitter late Thursday following talks with the opposition saying: "...on the way back to the President to help negotiations. Progress made but important differences remain."
Tusk called on Poles to declare their solidarity with neighbour Ukraine by lighting candles in windows across the country Friday evening in honour of those who died in Kiev.
Poland, an ex-communist country that joined the European Union in 2004, has long been an ardent advocate of Ukraine moving closer to the bloc, a move opposed by Kiev's former Soviet master Moscow.
The unrest in Ukraine was initially ignited by Yanukovych's shock decision in November to ditch a historic EU trade and political association agreement in favour of closer ties with Russia.
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