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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.
Ukraine

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
15:20 11.12.2013
Oleksandr Turchynov, a deputy from Yulia Tymoshenko's Batkivshchyna party has suggested police may be planning a repeat raid on Independent Square tonight, UNIAN reports.

"We can't rule out that again tonight there may be a repeat attack or aggression against Maidan. Because apart from bayonets and batons, the current president has no other support. He doesn't understand the concept of a dialogue with the public."
15:28 11.12.2013
15:31 11.12.2013
Tbilisi, whose country's leadership initialed its EU Association Agreement in Vilnius, sends a message to Ukraine from city hall.

15:36 11.12.2013
We told you earlier about the reported bomb threats at two Kyiv airports (and two train stations), the latest of a number of similar scares this week. Both Borispol and Zhulyani airports have reopened after searches.
15:37 11.12.2013
The Interior Ministry is also not ruling out a repeat of yesterday's Maidan raid. As long as all the paperwork is in order.

Deputy Minister Viktor Ratushnyak: "If the executive service comes to the police with a court order, then, naturally, the police will take part. And if the executive service does not appeal to us with a letter backing them up, then naturally there will be no police reaction."

Ratushnyak went on to point out that the police are currently busy investigating numerous bomb threats at the city's airports and metro and train stations.
15:37 11.12.2013
15:49 11.12.2013
Start the clock.

Catherine Ashton has confirmed that Viktor Yanukovych has promised to take steps within the next 24 hours to resolve the crisis situation in Ukraine.
Speaking at a news conference following talks in Kyiv, Ashton said, "From what I've heard from the president, something should be done in the course of the next 24 hours. He spoke a great deal about the fact that he always wanted to see strong ties with the European Union, close ties." (Translated from Russian)
15:50 11.12.2013
PACE's Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy has reminded Ukraine in a statement that as a Council of Europe member, the country "should fully respect European standards on freedom of assembly, expression and association." The committe called on "all sides in Ukraine to refrain from any acts of violence and intimidation which will further undermine the stability of the country, including its democratic process." It noted "concern...in particular following yesterday’s intervention by special police forces and recent acts of intimidation by the police against one of the main opposition parties, as well as media outlets."
16:03 11.12.2013
Not to the "highest bidder," as European Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly rejected earlier today, but it wouldn't help to have some high bidders in the mix.

Reuters just now:

European officials are in discussion with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other major financial institutions on ways to help Ukraine if it decides to sign a free-trade agreement with the European Union.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov was quoted as saying on Wednesday he had asked the EU for 20 billion euros ($27 billion) in aid to offset the cost of signing the EU deal, which Kiev backed away from last month in favour of closer ties with Russia, sparking huge street protests and a financial crisis.
16:07 11.12.2013
Kyiv's central train station also reopened, says "Kyiv Post," after bomb scare. Notably, the "Kyiv Post" says the inspection at Zhulyani airport is continuing (report elsewhere said it was already reopened).

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