Thousands of supporters of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych gathered in Kiev on Saturday in response to weeks of anti-government protests sparked by a decision not to sign an association agreement with the European Union, according to dpa. A reported 10,000 government supporters are planning a two-day demonstration. Many of them streamed towards a square in the centre of the capital, according to local media. Much of the government's support comes from pro-Russian parts of the country, and there were unconfirmed reports that thousands more people were heading to Kiev from the Donetsk region, as well as from the port of Odessa. In Moscow, meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a television interview he "does not doubt" that the large-scale opposition rallies in Ukraine were "staged long in advance," the Itar-Tass news agency reported. "We are amazed at the reaction on the edge of hysteria to the sovereign decision from Ukraine's legitimate authorities," he said. The standoff in Ukraine began three weeks ago after Yanukovych's government suspended a long-awaited agreement with the EU, and instead sought closer ties with Russia. On Friday, Yanukovych and opposition leaders met for the first time since the mass anti-government protests broke out. Yanukovych rejected calls for his government's resignation. dpa 14:52 LOCAL TIME 11:52 GMT تغريد
