Ukraine PM warns protesters as delegation seeks financial help in Moscow

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Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Ukraine's prime minister warned protesters trying to blockade government buildings on Wednesday they would be punished for any "illegal acts", as officials went to Moscow seeking aid to avoid a financial meltdown.

Meeting the Ukrainian delegation, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said their country needed "stability and order", in the two sides' first high-level talks since Kiev pulled out of a planned trade alliance with the European Union, provoking mass protests.

Prime minister Mykola Azarov also accused the opposition of trying to provoke violence, and tension remained high in Kiev with protesters confronting ranks of black-helmeted riot police in front of President Viktor Yanukovich's main offices after his government's U-turn in trade policy back towards Russia.



Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/12/04/uk-ukraine-idUKBRE9B20BV20131204

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1. Update

19.20 GMT: Parliament speaker Vladimir Rybak has insisted that Ukraine will sign the co-operation agreement with the European Union early next year.

The politician said the agreement will also depend on successful trilateral talks between Kiev, Moscow and Brussels.

Russia has agreed to such talks, but the EU has not, though Rybak said that all sides "had no objections".

http://rt.com/news/urkaine-eu-protests-updates-548/