Story highlights Senior European official urges restraint, dialogue between parties in Ukraine

President Viktor Yanukovych accepts resignation of Prime Minister and Cabinet

Parliament debates legislation that might give amnesty to arrested protesters

Lawmakers vote by an overwhelming majority to repeal sweeping anti-protest laws

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his government Tuesday, amid a political crisis fired by violent protests on the country's streets.

Azarov and his Cabinet will continue in their roles until a new government is formed, a notice on the presidential website said.

Yanukovych's announcement comes only hours after Azarov submitted his resignation and as the national parliament met in an emergency session aimed at ending the crisis.

In a first step, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to repeal sweeping anti-protest laws whose passage this month angered anti-government demonstrators.

The special parliamentary session also looked at legislation that might provide amnesty for more than 200 people arrested since the demonstrations began in late November. It's been adjourned until Wednesday, when lawmakers will continue the debate, state news agency Ukrinform said.

Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters in Kiev, Ukraine, clash with police in Independence Square on Wednesday, February 19. Thousands of anti-government demonstrators have packed the square since November, when President Viktor Yanukovych reversed a decision on a trade deal with the European Union and instead turned toward Russia. Hide Caption 1 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters clash with police in Kiev on February 19. The unrest in Ukraine intensified after an anti-protest law went into effect in January. Demonstrators took to the streets to protest the law, which was later repealed. Hide Caption 2 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters prepare a barricade in Independence Square on February 19. Hide Caption 3 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Police form a line as the Trade Unions Building burns in Independence Square on February 19. Hide Caption 4 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Police form a barrier in Independence Square on February 19. Hide Caption 5 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters in Kiev throw rocks at riot police in Independence Square on February 19. Hide Caption 6 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Independence Square smolders during protests on February 19. Hide Caption 7 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters walk in the rubble of Independence Square on February 19. Hide Caption 8 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters gather in Kiev on February 19. Hide Caption 9 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester throws a cobblestone at riot police during clashes in Independence Square on February 19. Hide Caption 10 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police officers rest against a column in Independence Square on February 19. Hide Caption 11 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters stand in Independence Square on February 19. Hide Caption 12 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – An injured protester is moved out during clashes with riot police in Kiev on February 19. Hide Caption 13 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester uses a slingshot to throw a rock at riot police February 19 in Kiev. Hide Caption 14 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police line up in Kiev on February 19. Hide Caption 15 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters put on gas masks near the perimeter of Independence Square on February 19. Hide Caption 16 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters brace themselves for more violence in Kiev on February 19. Hide Caption 17 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester throws a stone in Kiev on February 19. Hide Caption 18 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters protect themselves with shields as they clash with police in Kiev on February 19. Hide Caption 19 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – An injured protester waits to be treated in a Kiev monastery, converted into a makeshift hospital, on February 19. Hide Caption 20 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters sleep on the floor inside a Kiev monastery on February 19. Hide Caption 21 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters clash with police in Independence Square on February 19. Hide Caption 22 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester rushes through a broken door in the regional prosecutor's office in Lviv, Ukraine, on February 19. Police said the unrest has spread to western Ukraine, with protesters attacking police and local government offices in a number of regions. Hide Caption 23 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters in Lviv burn papers from a government building on February 19. Hide Caption 24 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester aims a weapon in Kiev on Tuesday, February 18. Hide Caption 25 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police storm Independence Square on February 18. Hide Caption 26 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester runs during clashes with police in Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 27 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters clash with police in Independence Square on February 18. Hide Caption 28 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters watch clashes in Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 29 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Violence between police and protesters escalates February 18 in Kiev. Hide Caption 30 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police stand firm in Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 31 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters burn a car in central Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 32 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester stands atop a barricade in Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 33 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters clash with riot police outside Ukraine's parliament in Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 34 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A rainbow forms over a protester ducking for cover in Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 35 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police protect themselves during clashes in Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 36 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Hide Caption 37 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester is engulfed in flames while running from the clashes in Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 38 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police detain a protester in Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 39 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters invade the main office of the ruling Party of Regions in Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 40 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police shield themselves during clashes with protesters on February 18. Hide Caption 41 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters throw stones toward riot police in Kiev on February 18. Hide Caption 42 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester holds a Ukrainian flag in Independence Square on Tuesday, February 4. Hide Caption 43 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester smokes a cigarette while standing guard in Kiev on February 4. Hide Caption 44 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters keep an eye on police February 4 as they man a barricade in Kiev. Hide Caption 45 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester is reflected in a broken mirror during protests in Kiev on Monday, February 3. Hide Caption 46 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Opposition supporters warm themselves in Kiev on Saturday, February 1. Hide Caption 47 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester stands on top of barricades in Kiev on Tuesday, January 28. Hide Caption 48 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters sit behind a barricade in Kiev on January 28. Hide Caption 49 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters march in Kiev on Monday, January 27. Activists say they want wide-ranging constitutional reform and a shake-up of the Ukrainian political system. Hide Caption 50 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Police block a street in Kiev on January 27. Hide Caption 51 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A couple try to keep warm near a fire at a barricade in Kiev on January 27. Hide Caption 52 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police block a Kiev street from protesters on January 27. Hide Caption 53 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters stand guard inside the Ukraine Justice Ministry in Kiev on January 27. Demonstrators later left the building because they didn't want to create any difficulties in negotiations between the government and opposition, a protest leader said. Protesters repositioned themselves outside and blocked access to the building, the leader said. Hide Caption 54 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Orthodox priests lead the funeral service for slain protester Mikhail Zhiznevsky in Kiev on Sunday, January 26. Hide Caption 55 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police officers stand in line during anti-government protests in Kiev on Saturday, January 25. Hide Caption 56 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – An Orthodox priest prays during protests on January 25. Hide Caption 57 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Some 10,000 Ukrainians take part in the funeral ceremony of dead protester Yuri Verbytsky in the western city of Lviv on Friday, January 24. Hide Caption 58 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A line of Ukrainian riot police block a road on January 24. Hide Caption 59 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester puts on a gas mask near Dynamo Stadium in Kiev on January 24. Hide Caption 60 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly – Ukrainian Oksana Tikhomirova cries as she urges riot police to stop the violence outside a government district in central Kiev on January 24. Hide Caption 61 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Molotov cocktails sit in a basket ready to be used by protesters in Kiev on January 24. Hide Caption 62 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police stand guard near Dynamo Stadium on January 24. Hide Caption 63 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester passes past graffiti that reads "Government for People" in the Ministry of Agricultural Policy building in Kiev on January 24. Hide Caption 64 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A man walks past the wreckage of a car on January 24. Hide Caption 65 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Ukrainian protesters use a huge catapult to throw stones at riot police as tires burn in Kiev on Thursday, January 23. Hide Caption 66 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police officers gather in Kiev on January 23. Hide Caption 67 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko, center, addresses protesters near the burning barricades between police and protesters in central Kiev on January 23. Hide Caption 68 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police stand guard near a burnt-out bus covered in icicles in Kiev on January 23. Hide Caption 69 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester walks past burning tires in Kiev on January 23. Hide Caption 70 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester shoots fireworks at police during clashes in Kiev on January 23. Hide Caption 71 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester carries tires toward a fire on January 23. Hide Caption 72 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police officers line up in Kiev during clashes on Wednesday, January 22. Hide Caption 73 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester throws a Molotov cocktail on January 22. Hide Caption 74 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters shoot from behind a shield among burning automobile tires in Kiev on January 22. Hide Caption 75 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Riot police officers gather as they clash with protesters in the center of Kiev on January 22. Hide Caption 76 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester throws a Molotov cocktail during clashes with police in central Kiev. Hide Caption 77 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Ukrainian protesters are seem during a mass action of opposition on Grushevsky Street. Hide Caption 78 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A protester throws a stone in front of a plume of fire and smoke during clashes with police in central Kiev. Hide Caption 79 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Flames leap off a protester during clashes with police on January 22. Hide Caption 80 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A police officer aims his shotgun during clashes with protesters. Hide Caption 81 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Paramedics put a wounded man on a stretcher and into a medical vehicle. Hide Caption 82 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Ukrainian police storm protesters' barricades in Kiev amid violent clashes on January 22. Hide Caption 83 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A European integration supporter is seen in Independence Square. Hide Caption 84 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters are seen in front of burning tires on Grushevsky Street. Hide Caption 85 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A medic treats an injured protester's leg during violent clashes between demonstrators and police. Hide Caption 86 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – A Ukrainian man stands in front of riot police on January 22. Hide Caption 87 of 88 Photos: Photos: Ukraine protests turn deadly Ukraine protests turn deadly – Protesters clash with police in Kiev as snow falls on January 22. Hide Caption 88 of 88

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But activists on the street have said that while the concessions are a step in the right direction, their fundamental grievances have yet to be addressed.

They want to see wide-ranging constitutional reform and a shake-up of the Ukrainian political system.

The controversial anti-protest laws were rammed through parliament on January 16 by a show of hands by members of Yanukovych's Party of Regions.

Anger about the legislation escalated the long-running anti-government protests into violent confrontations, with police and protesters fighting pitched battles in the icy streets of Ukraine's capital, Kiev.

Division of powers

As the crisis has deepened, Yanukovych's government has come under increasing pressure both internally and from Western governments concerned about an apparent bid to limit people's democratic rights.

Vitali Klitschko, leader of the opposition Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms party, or UDAR, told reporters at parliament that the repeal of the anti-protest laws was a small but very important step.

Much remains to be done, he said, according to his party's website. "Today, we still have to consider a very important issue on the amnesty and release of all detained demonstrators," he said.

"It is also crucial to address the question of the constitutional reform, which will divide powers between a President, a Prime Minister and the Parliament."

In a statement posted on the government's website, Azarov said that by quitting he intended to "create more opportunities for social and political compromise for a peaceful settlement of the conflict."

That conflict "is a threat to the entire Ukrainian society and every citizen," he said, adding that the government was doing all it could to prevent bloodshed.

It will likely take more than Azarov's departure to satisfy the demands of hardy protesters who, despite the bitter cold and threat of violence, have massed in and around central Kiev's Independence Square, or Maidan, to demand Yanukovych's ouster and new elections.

In recent days, protests have also spread to other cities around the country.

Yatsenyuk: 'Shameful practice'

Azarov's resignation may have been a case of jumping before he was pushed.

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He was widely expected to face a vote of no confidence in his government at the special parliamentary session, and his post had already been offered to an opposition leader.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who heads the Fatherland Party, refused Yanukovych's offer to be prime minister, but Azarov's position was made almost untenable.

Speaking in parliament Tuesday, Yatsenyuk urged the President to sign the law repealing the anti-protest legislation as soon as possible, according to the official Ukrinform news agency.

"I'm asking Viktor Yanukovych to immediately sign a law for which the parliament has just voted," he said. "We have finally closed the shameful practice of voting by a show of hands and abolished those laws against which the whole of Ukraine rebelled."

Fatherland is also the party of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been imprisoned since 2010 on charges the United States and Europe have called politically motivated. In a statement Monday evening, she called on the opposition to remain firm.

Another round of talks was held Monday between the government and the opposition as they sought a resolution to the crisis.

Force 'not the answer'

Ukraine was high on the agenda for a long-planned "Russia summit" in Brussels, Belgium, attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman van Rompuy.

Speaking at a news conference after the summit, Van Rompuy urged restraint and said those responsible for violence in Ukraine must be held accountable.

"The present stalemate must be rapidly overcome," he said, as he called for genuine dialogue between the government and opposition.

The European Union is ready to move ahead with the planned trade deal, or association agreement, with Ukraine whose dismissal by Yanukovych first triggered the popular protests, Van Rompuy added.

Barroso said the repeal of the anti-protest laws and a potential amnesty for arrested protesters, if confirmed, would be "important steps" toward resolving the crisis.

"Use of force is not the answer" to the present political situation, he said.

There have been tensions between Russia and the European Union over developments in Ukraine, with each side accusing the other of interference.

But Putin has denied that Moscow is exerting undue influence in Ukraine. "Russia has always respected, is respecting and will respect the sovereign rights of all the international entities including new states that emerged after breakdown of the Soviet Union," he said at the summit.

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, who was also at the summit, will travel to Kiev later Tuesday for talks. Stefan Fule, the European Commissioner for EU enlargement, also returned to Kiev on Tuesday.

Their main objective is to help bring a halt to violence and provide political stability in Ukraine, while respecting the will of the people, said Van Rompuy.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called Yanukovych on Monday night to reiterate American support for "a peaceful, political solution to the crisis," the White House said.

Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, is home to 45 million people. The clashes over the past 10 days are an escalation of weeks of largely peaceful public protests prompted by Yanukovych's decision in November to spurn the planned trade deal with the European Union and turn toward Russia instead.

He and Putin agreed a $15 billion deal for Russia to buy Ukrainian debt.