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60.000 people, according to the Ukrainian police. Thousands more according to unofficial
sources.
This bird's eye view of Kyiv's Independence square shows the anti-government rally held
in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday, the biggest street protest since the Orange Revolution
over 10 years ago.
Back then, massive demonstrations forced a re-run of the allegedly rigged presidential
election. Today, thousands of Ukrainians are marching the streets of Kyiv in freezing temperatures
demanding the resignation of President Yanukovich and his government.
The protests began shortly after Yanukovich failed to sign a landmark pact with the European
Union in favour of closer ties with Moscow.
In Brussels, EU leaders are urging the Ukraine authorities to seek 'a dialogue with their
opponents' and to respect 'civil freedoms'.
'Just yesterday I had a phone call -- another one - with President Yanukovych. I asked him
to show restraint in the face of these recent developments, to not use force against the
people that are demonstrating peacefully, to respect fully the freedoms that are so
important for all of us in Europe.
Catherine Ashton, Europe's foreign policy chief, is expected to visit Kyiv on Tuesday
and Wednesday to help Ukraine find 'a way out' of the political crisis.
She will hold talks with government, opposition and civil society. But the Commission has
refused to call the High Representative an 'official mediator' in the crisis.
'It is not our role to be specific about actions taken on the ground, it is our role to support
the freedom of the people of Ukraine that have expressed their european aspirations.
And you have seen also in the past days that we have been very clear in the condemnation
of any violence in that respect. This is our role in addition to engaging for a closer
association if this is the will of the sovereign people of Ukraine.
The EU's executive has said that a free-trade deal with Ukraine is still possible. But Kyiv
needs to accept the offer first, and then meet all the pre-conditions. The release of
opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, a political prisoner in the eyes of Europe, is one of
them. President Yanukovich will also meet Russian
President Vladimir Putin next week.