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Ukrainian crisis: December 17th
Ukrainian crisis: December 18th
LB.ua chronicles the latest events in Ukraine in English for foreign readers.
8:26. Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that discontent among Ukrainians with their country's leader Viktor Yanukovich is warmed up by some foreign guests roaming around the Maidan.
9:30. The Verkhovna Rada deputy of the Party of Regions Oleg Tsarev says that "today the opposition offers some individual deputies money for their support for the government's resignation, and we are talking about millions of euros".
9:59. The opposition offered to adopt a law on on the mandatory numbering of the helmets of the employees of the "Berkut" special forces, so that each of them could be identified. In addition, chairman of the opposition "Batkivshchyna" faction Arseniy Yatsenyuk offers to adopt a bill for exemption from criminal liability of all the people who participated in peaceful protests since November 21.
Earlier the opposition offered to completely eliminate the "Berkut" special forces.
10:37. A Research&Branding Group poll showed that 64% of Kyiv residents support action against the government on Kyiv's Independence Square.
10:46. Russia agreed to reduce gas prices for Kiev in the interests of Ukrainians rather than in the interests of the Ukrainian leadership, said Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday.
11:09. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that reduction in the price of gas for Ukraine is a temporary measure.
11:29. The European Union and the International Monetary Fund had been prepared to lend Ukraine at least 20 billion euros, if the Ukrainian government signed an Association Agreement.
11:29. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is not against the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, but would protect its economy in this case.
12:20. The price of gas for Ukraine after discounts provided by Russia will vary depending on oil prices, said President Viktor Yanukovich.
12:28. President Viktor Yanukovich says Ukraine, Russia and EU are ready to discuss the disputable issues in a trilateral format. He also said he had instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to review the conditions of signing the Association Agreement with the EU with the help from Ukrainian manufacturers and the general public.
12:33. President Viktor Yanukoiych says that the agreement with Russia reached on December 17 do not contradict Ukraine's course towards European integration.
12:35. Only nine journalists were allowed to participate in a live press conference with President Viktor Yanukovich on Thursday, December 19th.
12:49. A visa-free regime with the EU is currently the most urgent issue, said President Viktor Yanukovich.
12:50. President Viktor Yanukovich announced the resumption of negotiations on the creation of a gas transportation consortium with Russia.
13:06. President Viktor Yanukovich said that a $15 billion loan from Russia at 5% per annum doesn't entail any additional terms and conditions.
13:13. President Viktor Yanukovich admitted that the political crisis in Ukraine has not yet been overcome, but Ukraine will be able to resolve the situation without the help of other countries.
13:15. President Viktor Yanukovich says will not rush to fulfil the requirement of the opposition and the Maidan protesters to reshuffle the Cabinet of Ministers.
13:16. President Viktor Yanukovich says that Ukraine will decide on possible accession to certain provisions of the Customs Union after their analysis.
13:27. President Viktor Yanukovich offered the Maidan activists to keep on protesting till the elections in 2015.
13:33. President Viktor Yanukovich said he won't participate in the presidential election in 2015, if he has small rating by that time.
13:50. Ukrainian lawyers held a protest against massive and systematic violations of their rights under the Attorney General's Office in Kyiv.
14:39. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Andriy Klyuyev called Euromaidan crackdown, when police used force against the pro-Europe demonstrators in Kyiv on November 30, a provocation. Klyuyev is afraid of the country's collapse.
14:43. Russia is not going to "swing its sword" and send troops into the territory of Ukraine, although it is not indifferent to the fate of its compatriots, said Russian President Vladimir Putin at a press conference on Thursday.
15:42. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski says he doesn't see any obstacles to signing the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.
16:03. LB.ua, citing its own sources, reports that the Anti-Maidan supporters in Mariinsky Park are holding protest at the expense of taxpayers' money. According to this information, their tent camp and field kitchens, located in the park, were set by the State Service for Emergency Situations.
Aleksandr Zinchenko, commandant of the Anti-Maidan tent camp, told LB.ua that 64 tents have already been installed there, and their number will increase to 80 in the coming days.
16:10. The European Union flag was burned down by the Anti-Maidan protesters in Slovyansk, Donetsk region.
16:45. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the EU's attempts to make Ukraine sign the Association Agreement "a dictate".
16:53. The Dnipropetrovsk region Court of Appeal allowed the opposiition protesters to conduct the Euromaidan. Earlier, on the 26th of Nobember, the Dnepropetrovsk authorities prohibited any public events in dozens of locations, including European Square, where the local Euromaidan was situated.
17:06. The Verkhovna Rada supported the bill introduced by opposition deputies on the release of the Euromaidan activists from criminal liability.
18:42. The Communist Party faction in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine withdrew the signatures under the draft resolution of no confidence to the Nikolay Azarov´s Cabinet of Ministers.
19:55. After the discussion of the situation in Ukraine the European Union leaders are planning to declare their readiness to sign the Association Agreement.
21:15. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says that Russia is violating Ukraine's right to choose its allies freely.
23:02. Anders Fogh Rasmussen says he sees Ukraine's future in close cooperation with the EU and the Atlantic Alliance.
23:28. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said that Ukraine should not appeal to the EU for money but instead Kyiv should implement some reforms in order to become part of Europe.
23:39. Ternopil residents gathered more than one million UAH ($120 thousand) for the needs of the local Euromaidan, said one of the leaders of the local Maidan organizing committee Lubomir Schimke. He said the amount has been collected from November 22 to December 17.
Read next: Ukrainian crisis: December 19th