Ukraine Crisis: President Yanukovych Claims Deal Reached with Euromaidan Protesters

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych claims a deal to resolve Ukraine's political crisis has been reached with pro-European opposition leaders, Reuters reports.

Foreign ministers from Germany, France and Poland met with Yanukovych and with the opposition for talks in order to broker a peace agreement.

The talks lasted until the early hours of Friday [21 February].

In a statement, the Ukranian presidential press service said a deal will be signed at noon (10am GMT), but no further details were given.

The deal has not yet been confirmed by the opposition, which must consent to any agreement.

"The opposition wants to consult with some of its members, which is entirely understandable," French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said in a live interview on Europe 1 radio.

"In this sort of situation, as long as things haven't really been wrapped up, it's important to remain very cautious," Fabius continued.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski tweeted a few minutes before the presidential announcement that the talks had been suspended.

"After negotiations through the night, talks ended at 7:20 (0520 GMT)," Sikorski said via his Twitter account.

A European diplomatic source quoted by Reuters said: "There is a break now. The participants will come back together again before midday. The negotiations are very difficult."

According to the Government, 77 people have been killed since fresh clashes broke out in Independence Square, known also as Maidan, on 18 February.

A total of 577 people have been wounded and 369 hospitalised thus far during the clashes.

According to the opposition, the death toll is nearly 100 people.

Russian President Vladimir Putin "stressed the critical importance of an immediate end to bloodshed, the need to take urgent measures to stabilise the situation and suppress extremist and terrorist attacks" the Kremlin said.

British Prime Minister David Cameron spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Putin on the phone, where they all expressed the "utmost concern" over the violence, added the Kremlin.