Ukraine Leader Offers Concessions to Protesters
A barricade on a street in front of the state administration headquarters in Lviv, Ukraine, on Friday.
European Pressphoto Agency
KYIV, Ukraine—President
Viktor Yanukovych
pledged to stop “radicals” who have been protesting against his regime for more than two months, even as he outlined limited potential concessions Friday that appear unlikely to appease antigovernment protesters camped in the main square here.
At a meeting with religious leaders Friday, Mr. Yanukovych said: “We’ll stop radicals. I hope we manage in an amicable way. If not, we’ll use all legal means.”
Demonstrations, which have drawn hundreds of thousands, began two months ago after Mr. Yanukovych shelved an integration pact with the European Union. They developed into a broader outcry against official corruption and police violence.
Mr. Yanukovych outlined an offer made to opposition leaders at a meeting the night before, including a potential amnesty for some detained protesters, some changes in the government and adjustments to laws passed last week that sharply restrict dissent.
Antigovernment protesters in Ukraine stormed and occupied the offices of key government buildings Thursday night, including the regional administration office in the city of Ternopil. Photo: Associated Press.
But protesters whistled to opposition leaders who announced the offer from the stage on the square early Friday morning, cheering when asked if they wanted to withdraw from negotiations with the president.
Protesters then occupied the Agriculture Ministry and threw up fresh barricades, expanding the area they are occupying. Many on the square said they are deeply skeptical that Mr. Yanukovych can be trusted, and believe he is preparing for an even-more-violent crackdown.
On Friday, Mr. Yanukovych faced a broader challenge to his rule outside Kyiv, as protesters dug in at five regional administration buildings seized in cities in western Ukraine, where Mr. Yanukovych is most unpopular. Thousands of Ukrainians joined demonstrations at cities and towns across western and central Ukraine, demanding that local administrations switch sides or resign. There were also protests in cities in Mr. Yanukovych’s heartland of eastern Ukraine.
In the capital, an uneasy truce, negotiated with police Thursday, held Friday. Protesters’ front line on a road around 200 meters from the square are now defended by two barricades of snow-filled sacks over two meters in height.
Opposition leaders have lost the initiative over protests in recent days to more militant elements.
Protesters who say the opposition’s passive stance has brought no concessions clashed violently Sunday with police guarding government buildings near the square.
Police struck back over several days with rubber bullets and stun grenades, wounding hundreds, including several who lost eyes. Two protesters died Wednesday morning from gunshot wounds.
Mr. Yanukovych accused protesters of propagating violence and pledged to respond, without elaborating on what measures he would take.
While he suggested lawmakers could use an emergency session on Tuesday to consider concessions, opponents suspect he plans to use it to bring in a state of emergency, which would give him more powers to crack down.
“Radicals are not going to stop. They keep on crushing, burning and destroying. What to expect? For how long can we wait? We must stop this process,” he said Friday. “That is why the answer to this question will be given in the nearest time.”
Western capitals have pressed Mr. Yanukovych to find a peaceful to solution through talks, and a top EU official met with Mr. Yanukovych Friday.
In a move likely to further anger protesters, Mr. Yanukovych appointed his National Security Adviser
Andriy Klyuyev
as head of his administration. Many protesters blame Mr. Klyuyev for ordering the first violent crackdown on demonstrators last November, which he denies.
Two units of Interior Ministry troops were awarded medals for “exemplary performance of military service to ensure the protection of public order during events in Kyiv,” according to an Interior Ministry website.
Write to James Marson at james.marson@wsj.com and Katya Gorchinskaya at katya.gorchinskaya@wsj.com