ANALYSIS: Ukraine stuck between Russia and the West

ANKARA

Ukraine has become divided -- the government has favored a Russian alliance, but the opposition and the hundreds of protesters who have taken to the streets of the capital, Kiev want to see the country integrated into the European Union (EU).

The country has been witnessing anti-government protests since Ukraine’s pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, refrained from signing an association agreement with the EU in November last year in favor of closer ties with Russia

The opposition and government authorities agreed a truce on Wednesday, to prevent further bloodshed, after at least 28 people were killed and more than 400 others injured in violent clashes between protesters and security forces this week.

But the violent clashes continued into Thursday, adding 22 more people to the rising death count. The total death count now stands at 50.

The Right Sector, a right-wing Ukrainian opposition group, rejected the agreement, saying they will not abide by the truce.

"They are trying to stop people’s resistance by announcing a fake truce," said Dmitry Yarosh, one of the leading figures of the Right Sector.

The country is stuck, both politically and geographically, between Russia and the West, and is experiencing its most severe crisis since its independence in 1991.

turned to the West after the 2004 Orange but later revisited its alliance with Russia following the 2010 elections.

The U.S. and the EU have harshly condemned the violent protests in Ukraine.

The U.S. has applied visa ban on some 20 Ukrainian officials that its says having in human right violations.

U.S. President Barack Obama called on Ukraine's armed forces on Wednesday to stay out of the country's political crisis and warned that there would be consequences for those who 'step over the line.'

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the demonstrations by the opposition are an "attempted coup and a... takeover of authority."

In a statement on Thursday, Russian Prime Minister, Dmitri Medvedev pledged its support to Ukraine but wants Ukrainian officials to stay legitimate rather than being a "doormat for everyone to clean their feet (on)."