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Saturday, December 7, 2013

Ukraine unrest: Former presidents back mass protests

Ukraine's three previous post-Soviet presidents have given their support to mass anti-government protesters.
In a statement, Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko expressed "solidarity" with peaceful rallies.

Thousands of protesters remain camped in Kiev's Independence Square, and are continuing to block the main government's building.
They are angry at the government's last-minute decision not to sign an association deal with the EU.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Wednesday visited protesters on Independence Square, saying that "the gates of the European Union are still open".
Meanwhile, Russia - which wants Kiev to join the Moscow-led Customs Union - has urged the West not to interfere in Ukraine.


'Deepening distrust'
Mr Yanukovych is continuing his official visit to China in what is reported to be a bid to forge closer economic ties.
Another Ukrainian delegation is holding talks with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow.
Mr Azarov said earlier this week he would be sending representatives to Brussels to renew talks on the EU deal.
Both he and Mr Yanukovych are facing calls from the protesters for their resignations.
The three former presidents said demonstrators felt a "deepening distrust" towards the government.

Mr Kravchuk, 79, became Ukraine's first president after it gained independence from the USSR in 1991. He was succeeded by Mr Kuchma, now 75, in 1994.
Mr Yushchenko came to power in 2005.

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