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Riot police try to remove a barricade held by protesters on Independence Square in Kyiv early on December 11.
Riot police try to remove a barricade held by protesters on Independence Square in Kyiv early on December 11.

Live Blog: Kyiv Protesters Dig In

Updated
Final Wrapup (Barring major events)

-- EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said after an afternoon meeting that President Viktor Yanukovych pledged to her 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."

-- 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 "Yanukovich 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. People have returned to Independence Square and are rebuilding barricades.

-- Former Interior Minister and Yulia Tymoshenko ally Yuriy Lutsenko announced that the next major rally in the capital was planned for December 13 and urged people to come to Independence Square.

-- Prime Minister Mykola Azarov announced that Ukraine was requesting 20 billion euros in financial aid from the European Union to help lay the groundwork for an Association Agreement.

-- 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 said earlier that he was "disgusted" by 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
09:33 11.12.2013
09:34 11.12.2013
09:40 11.12.2013
Some signs that people are re-erecting barricades after police pull back from protest sites.

09:44 11.12.2013
RFE/RL Ukrainian Service says that despite the metro closures, people are returning to Independence Square now that police and security forces have withdrawn.
09:52 11.12.2013
"Ukrayinska pravda" tweets pic of protesters restoring Independence Square barricades:

09:53 11.12.2013
The @RadioSvoboda live stream on Independence Square showing people trying to refashion barricades from tires, boards, whatever's at hand. Lots of others milling about.
10:00 11.12.2013
Nuland off Maidan, now meeting with Yanukovych: presidential press service
10:19 11.12.2013
"Kyiv Post" quotes PM Azarov as saying that "No force will ever be used against peaceful demonstrators. We are talking about clearing the roads to ensure the capital's regular functioning."
10:20 11.12.2013
Olha Storozhenko, Miss Ukraine 2013, pouring tea on Independence Square:
10:22 11.12.2013
Our Ukrainian Service reporting that 10 police officers were injured during the overnight and early-morning operations but still no reliable figure on injured protesters.

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