Protesters clash with police

Police forces in the Ukrainian capital Kiev clashed with demonstrators early Wednesday as they tried to remove anti-government protesters from Independence Square.

In bitterly cold conditions, black helmeted police pushed into the square - as demonstrators who have been camped out for weeks pushed back.

The protests began last month after President Viktor Yanukovich decided not to sign a major trade pact with the European Union and instead to revive economic links with Russia.

Earlier Tuesday, Yanukovich gave a televised statement defending his decision to renew ties with Russia saying it was in the country's own interests to do so.

Diplomats have been meeting with both Yanukovich and opposition leaders to help broker a compromise.

The crisis has weighed heavy on the economy- already on the brink of bankruptcy and has revealed the country's deep divisions between those who view Moscow as a source of stability and those who want to join the European mainstr