Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has agreed to a truce with opposition leaders, after at least 26 people died in clashes this week.
In a statement, he said 'negotiations' would begin to end the bloodshed of the last two days.
Opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk confirmed this, saying there would be no new police attempts to storm the main protest site, the Maidan, in capital Kiev.
The announcement of the truce came after Yanukovych met members of a crisis group, which included Ukraine's three main opposition leaders, the parliamentary speaker and top officials from the presidential administration.
According to the BBC, US President Barack Obama warned there 'will be consequences' for anyone who steps over the line in Ukraine, including the military intervening.
Meanwhile, the State Department said it had imposed visa bans on 20 members of Ukraine' government believed to be responsible for the violence against protesters, the report added.
