KIEV
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians rallied in support of President Viktor Yanukovich in central Kiev on Saturday, separated by a line of riot police from anti-government protesters.
Prime Minister Mykola Azarov addressed the rally in Independence Square.
"Any conflicts, the most difficult matters should and can only be solved by the negotiating table. People should not be driven away from their work, from their families" Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told supporters.
Azarov, inviting the politicians to sit at the negotiating table and urged demonstrators to go home, saying "According to my information we have protests only in Kiev. The rest of the country is rather calm. And we have to bring peace to Kiev, too."
The unrest and ongoing protests in Ukraine were triggered in November when President Yanukovych rejected to sign "the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement" (DCFTA) offered by the EU.
DCFTA was meant to serve as a springboard for Ukraine to become closer to the 28-member bloc, with the possibility of full membership in the future.
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