Ukraine divide echoes cold war

Synopsis

In Kiev, the situation on Central Square has calmed following the violent events of Thursday morning, when snipers killed dozens of protesters. President Victor Yanukovich engages in urgent diplomatic talks with European Union foreign ministers from France, Germany, and Poland, as well as opposition leaders and a Russian representative. An announcement on his website suggests a potential agreement to resolve the crisis, though doubts remain about its legitimacy and whether it has been fully agreed upon. The geopolitical tensions between the EU and the US, which support the opposition, and Russia, which backs Yanukovich, complicate the situation. A resolution may require early elections, a new government, and constitutional changes to reduce presidential powers, reverting to Ukraine's earlier constitution from before 2010. The Russian government blames the protesters for escalating violence, further straining the already tense relations.