Ukraine protesters take Kiev; president says coup

“Everything that is happening today is, to a greater degree, vandalism and banditry and a coup d'etat,” he said. “I will do everything to protect my country from breakup, to stop bloodshed.”

The country's western regions, angered by corruption in Yanukovych's government, want to be closer to the European Union and have rejected Yanukovych's authority in many cities.

Eastern Ukraine, which accounts for the bulk of the nation's economic output, favours closer ties with Russia andhas largely supported the president. The  three-month protest movement was prompted by the president's decision to abort an agreement with the EU in favour of a deal with Moscow.

“A dictator has been overthrown,” said protester AnatolySumchinsky, among thousands gathered on  Kiev's Independence Square cheering a huge screen broadcasting a parliamentary debate. “We stood for our right to live in a different Ukraine. It's a victory.”

Today's developments were the result of a European- brokered peace deal between the president and opposition.

But Yanukovych today said he would not sign any of the measures passed by parliament over the past two days as a result of that deal.