Ukraine protests continue despite president's concessions

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich promised Friday at a meeting with religious leaders to reshuffle his cabinet, grant amnesty to dozens of jailed activists, change harsh anti-protest legislation and make other concessions after demonstrations against him spread from the capital, Kiev, to nearly half the country. However, protesters said nothing short of Yanukovich’s resignation would suffice.

Hours after the president's comments, huge fireballs lit up the night sky in central Kiev and plumes of thick, black smoke rose from burning tires at giant barricades erected by protesters.

Clashes resumed at the barricades, which are just yards from lines of riot police.

Angry protesters hurled firebombs, rocks and fireworks at officers. Riot police responded with tear gas and several dozen protesters were rushed to a makeshift medical area to be treated.

"We will force the authorities to respect us," 27-year-old protester Artur Kapelan said. "Not they but we will dictate the conditions of a truce."

The fighting had stopped earlier this week as opposition leaders entered into face-to-face talks with Yanukovich.

But hundreds of protesters in ski masks and helmets were still armed with sticks, stones and firebombs at the Kiev barricades.

The violence was a harsh contrast to the determined peacefulness of the anti-government protests that have gripped the country for two months.

Protests began in late November after Yanukovich decided to shelve a long-anticipated economic agreement with the 28-nation European Union and receive a bailout from Russia instead. Russian President Vladimir Putin pressed hard to keep Ukraine in his nation's political and economic orbit, while many urban Ukrainians favor closer ties with the EU.

Earlier, hundreds of protesters occupied or besieged the offices of regional governors appointed by Yanukovich in western Ukraine, where most people long for closer ties with the EU. At least two governors were forced to sign resignation letters, and another was chased out of his office by an angry crowd.

Anger spread further in Ukraine after the release of a video in which riot police were shown humiliating and abusing a protester who was stripped naked. The Interior Ministry has apologized for the actions of those police.

The protests have so far claimed two lives – both protesters.

A parliament deputy from Yanukovich's Party of Regions quit the party Friday because of the government's turn toward Russia and the violent crackdown on protesters, but presidential allies still control a majority of parliament.

Protesters want Yanukovich to resign and a new election to be held.

In another development, Germany, France and several other European countries said Friday they had summoned the Ukrainian ambassadors in their respective capitals to protest Kiev's response to the protests.

The United States said it is in close contact with European allies to try to end the violence in Ukraine, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday.

"We will stand with the people of Ukraine," Kerry vowed at the World Economic Forum meeting in the Swiss town of Davos.

Wire services