KIEV: Ukraine's president said Friday a deal had been clinched to end a three-month-old standoff with opposition protesters after the worst day of violence left more than 60 dead and turned central Kiev into a war zone.
Police opened fire with Kalashnikovs on groups advancing behind makeshift shields while opposition medics said government snipers picked off protesters from rooftops on Thursday, in scenes that sparked global alarm.
Envoys from Germany, Poland and France -- who negotiated through the night with Viktor Yanukovych -- warned however that the deal was not yet definitive.
"The parties agreed on the initialling of an agreement to resolve the crisis," the presidency said in a statement after the night of talks that also included a Russian envoy.
"The signing is expected at 12:00 (1000 GMT)" at the presidency, the statement said, without giving any details on the deal.
According to the privately-owned Ukrainian 1+1 television channel, the agreement would see the country revert to the 2004 constitution within 48 hours, which would give more power to parliament and government, and less to the president.
A coalition government would also be formed within 10 days, and early presidential polls held in December -- all key opposition demands.
But there was no immediate confirmation of a deal from any of the country's top three opposition leaders and EU envoys said negotiations were due to resume again at midday.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius cautioned that the agreement was not "definitive", while a German delegation source said there was no final agreement.
The crisis in Ukraine flared in November when Yanukovych declined to sign an EU integration deal in favour of closer ties with historical master Russia, and has evolved into a Cold War-style standoff between Moscow and the West over the future of the strategic nation sandwiched between them.
The violence of the past few days prompted the European Union to agree to impose sanctions on Ukrainians with "blood on their hands".
The United States also threatened to follow suit.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, meanwhile, spoke to Presidents Barack Obama of the United States and Vladimir Putin of Russia -- who have bickered openly over the crisis -- by telephone.
All three called for a halt to the bloodshed that has escalated since Tuesday.
Kiev authorities put the death toll of the past few days at 77, but opposition medics say more than 60 protesters were shot dead by police on Thursday alone.
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