Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has just been released from prison. Tymoshenko has delivered a speech at Kiev's Independence Square. She said president Yanukovich should be forced to come to the Square where protests are taking place.
She said earlier that she is "sure" Ukraine will join the EU in the near future and this will "change everything". Meanwhile, Ukraine's parliament has voted to remove Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych from office. Lawmakers have also set an early election for May the 25th.
But the president is refusing to resign. Speaking to Ukrainian television UBR, Yanukovych said he won't step down or leave Ukraine. He called the country's political crisis a "coup". And the Ukrainian opposition group Right Sector says it would continue to protest in the capital Kiev despite parliament's vote to oust the president.
The Ukrainian Parliament also elected a new speaker and acting interior minister, during an emergency session on Saturday, both from the opposition side. But leaders in eastern Ukraine who are loyal to President Yanukovych have challenged the legitimacy of the national parliament. However, Ukraine's lawmakers insist they'll ensure a smooth handover of power to any new administration.
