海角大神

Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych announced that all-night talks between the government, protesters, European Union foreign ministers, and representatives from Russia have led to a deal to end violence that has rocked this post-Soviet nation.听

that a compromise "involved appointing a transitional government, with a reformed constitution by September reducing presidential powers, and fresh elections by the end of the year."

It comes as the European Union finally agreed to issue sanctions against members of the Ukrainian government.

鈥淣egotiations on the settlement of the political crisis in Ukraine between President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, leaders of the opposition, EU, and Russian representatives have finished,鈥� a said. A deal could be signed as early as Friday morning local time.

In a separate announcement posted four hours later,聽President Yanukovych said that with initiating early elections and a return to the 2004 constitution, as well as the creation of "the government of national trust." 聽

But the European ministers involved in the talks, including France鈥檚 foreign minister Laurent Fabius, Frank-Walter Steinmeier of聽Germany, and Radoslaw Sikorski of Poland, urged caution.

"The opposition wants to consult with some of its members, which is entirely understandable," on Europe 1 radio Friday morning. 鈥淚n this sort of situation, as long as things haven't really been wrapped up, it's important to remain very cautious.鈥�

On Twitter, Germany鈥檚 Foreign Ministry said that talks .听

But even if a deal is reached, it鈥檚 unclear if it will be accepted and respected. "This is just another piece of paper. We will not leave the barricades until Yanukovich steps down. That's all people want," Anton Solovyov, an IT worker protesting in the central square of Kiev, .

Thursday marked the bloodiest day in a confrontation that began in November, after Mr. Yanukovych walked away from an association agreement with the EU, bowing to Russian pressure. Just hours earlier, a truce had been declared between protesters and government authorities who have battled for control of the country.

The dramatic escalation of violence this week moved the EU to issue sanctions on Thursday, after weeks of resistance. The sanctions would target Ukrainian officials believed to be behind the widespread violence.

The EU's decision comes a day after the US revoked visas for 20 Ukrainian officials. In a , the US said: 鈥淲e are outraged by the images of Ukrainian security forces firing automatic weapons on their own people."

For some, EU sanctions came too late. 鈥淪anctions would have been more effectual if EU member states would have agreed some weeks ago on using the sanctions threat as a diplomatic tool in order to deter the regime from using large-scale violence against protesters, something it did yesterday,鈥� Ulrich Speck, a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, told 海角大神.

The EU is using a two-thronged approach 鈥撀爏anctions and diplomacy 鈥� in its efforts to bring both sides in Ukraine to a deal. But Mr. Speck says this might not be enough. He says the EU and US must come together in a more targeted effort to counter Russian pressure in Ukraine.

鈥淭here is a chance that a common transatlantic push might convince Moscow to give up support for Yanukovych. But this has to be done at the highest levels in Washington and Berlin. The West must be ready to send a clear warning to Moscow, or accept that Ukraine is going to slip further into violence,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his is a new geopolitical game, and so far the Western response has been limited to a day-to-day reaction to events on the ground in Ukraine. EU powers and the US must forge a joint approach, work out a plan, and get ahead of the curve.鈥�