Protests escalate in Western Ukraine

Despite the recently-announced "truce" between the Ukrainian authorities and the opposition, tensions are increasing in this former Soviet republic. Protesters have captured the building of the Ministry of Agriculture in Kyiv, while local administrations were stormed in the Western Ukrainian cities of Lviv, Rovno, Ternopol and Ivano-Frankivsk. 

Ukrainian expert Igor Gridasov told VK that the situation is unlikely to stabilize even if President Yanukovych agrees to meet the demands of the opposition, since the opposition leaders - Vitaly Klichko, Arseny Yatsenyuk and Oleg Tyagnibok - do not control the protests, the most radical part of which are far-right groups. 

Another expert, Sergey Slobodchuk, says he blames both the authorities and the opposition leaders for the escalation of the conflict. The president is not ready for any kind of compromise or serious talks and the opposition seems unable to formalize its demands.