By Europe correspondent Phil Williams, wires
Updated Wed 19 Feb 2014, 5:49pm AEDT
ABC
At least 25 people have died in Ukraine's capital in the worst day of violence since anti-government demonstrations erupted 12 weeks ago.
Kiev plunged into chaos when protesters attempted to push towards the parliament and president Viktor Yanukovych's party headquarters.
Protesters armed with rocks and petrol bombs fought running battles with riot police, who replied with water canons, stun grenades and rubber bullets.
At least 25 people, including seven policemen, died with many killed by gunshot.
Hundreds more people were injured, with dozens of them in a serious condition, police and opposition representatives said.
The interior ministry issued an ultimatum to clear the city's central square where the protest has been centred for three months, but that was ignored.
Forces loyal to the Russian-backed leader broke through front-line barricades near the Dynamo Kiev soccer stadium and marched to the edge of occupied Independence Square.
They moved in hours after Moscow gave Ukraine $2 billion in aid which it had been holding back to demand decisive action to crush the protests.
Ukrainian opposition leader Vitali Klitschko met with Mr Yanukovych's in his office for talks.
Mr Klitschko says the president refused to call off the police, whose move to evict the demonstrators from the centre of Kiev caused the fighting to start.
Nationwide protests against the president erupted in November after he pulled out of a trade agreement with the European Union, deciding instead to accept a bailout from Russia, to help the nation's indebted economy.
Inside parliament, there were scuffles as government MPs stymied opposition attempts to force a vote to limit Mr Yanukovych's sweeping powers.
Opposition lawmaker Lesya Orobets used social media to describe the unfolding clashes raging for several hours outside the building.
"Three bodies of our supporters are in the building. Another seven are close to dying (because of wounds)," she said on her Facebook page.
More than 100 people were injured, she said.
Two more bodies were lying in front of a Metro station on the south-eastern side of the square, according to a photographer.
The police spokeswoman said the two officers and three protesters died of gunshot wounds.
Two more protesters suffered heart attacks while one died in a fire and another in a traffic accident.
The State Security Service, in a joint statement with the interior ministry, set protesters a deadline to end street disorder or face "tough measures".
"If by 6pm the disturbances have not ended, we will be obliged to restore order by all means envisaged by law," the statement said.
The defence ministry issued a separate warning to protesters to evacuate the officers' club near parliament.
White House spokesman Jay Carney says the United States is appalled by the violence in Kiev and urges Mr Yanukovych to restart a dialogue with opposition leaders.
"We continue to condemn street violence and excessive use of force by either side. Force will not resolve the crisis," Mr Carney told a briefing.
"To restore peace and stability, we urge Mr Yanukovych to de-escalate immediately the situation and end the confrontation" with protesters, he said.
"We also urge him to restart a dialogue with opposition leaders today."
Address the root causes: EU
Photo: Anti-government protesters throw stones near Ukraine's house of parliament. (Reuters: Gleb Garanich)
In what has become a geo-political tussle redolent of the Cold War, the United States and its Western allies are urging Mr Yanukovych to turn back to Europe and the prospect of an IMF-supported economic recovery.
But Russia accuses them of meddling.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who has tried to broker a power-sharing transition in Ukraine, said she was deeply concerned about the escalating violence and casualties.
"I urge the leadership of Ukraine to address the root causes of the crisis," she said.
"Political leaders must now assume their shared responsibility to rebuild trust and create the conditions for an effective solution to the political crisis."
NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen called on all parties to refrain from violence.
Germany's foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier telephoned his Ukrainian counterpart to warn against sliding back into violence and keep working for a political solution.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Poland, an EU member, summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to express concern at the clashes and call for immediate dialogue.
Monday's $2 billion cash injection, a resumption of the $15 billion aid package, was seen as a signal that Russia believes Mr Yanukovych has a plan to end the protests and has dropped any idea of bringing opposition leaders into government.
ABC/Reuters
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