DHAKA: Ukraine`s President Viktor Yanukovych says he has agreed a truce with opposition leaders, after at least 26 people died in clashes this week.

In a statement, he said "negotiations" would now start to end the bloodshed of the last two days, reports BBC.

Opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk confirmed this, saying there would be no new police attempts to storm the main protest site, the Maidan, in Kiev.

Fires are continuing to burn around the Maidan, but no violence is reported.

Most of the victims died during the clashes near the parliament building in the capital and later police attempts to clear the Maidan on Tuesday - making it the bloodiest day since the unrest erupted in late November.

Thursday has been declared a day of mourning for the dead.

In other developments:

       President Yanukovych sacked the armed forces head, Col Gen Volodymyr Zamana, replacing him with the navy commander, Adm Yuriy Ilyin. No reason was given for the dismissal
   
 US President Barack Obama warned there "will be consequences" for anyone who steps over the line in Ukraine - including the military intervening in a situation that civilians should resolve. He also expressed hopes that the truce "may hold"
        
Meanwhile, the US state department said it had imposed visa bans on 20 members of Ukraine` government believed to be responsible for the violence against protesters
       
 Russia characterised the violence as an "attempted coup" by extremists
    
Foreign ministers from France, Germany and Poland are to hold talks in Kiev later on Thursday before an EU meeting in Brussels to decide whether to impose sanctions against Ukraine.

BDST: 0910 HRS, FEB 20, 2014