Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych told EU envoys he was willing to hold early elections this year, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said today, 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 today 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, Frank-Walter Steinmeier from Germany 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.
Tusk said opposition leaders were now examining the document, still in the form of a rough outline, but added that "it is difficult to really take these offers seriously, when it comes to President Yanukovych's commitment".
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 today to impose a travel ban and asset freeze on Ukrainians deemed responsible for human rights violations, violence and excessive use of force.
Tusk called on Poles to declare their solidarity with neighbour Ukraine by lighting candles in windows across the country at 8 pm tomorrow in honour of those who died in Kiev.
