Ukrainian Protesters Settle In as Western Diplomats Gather
People sleep in a protesters' tent camp in the early morning hours, during a rally to support EU integration in Kyiv, Dec. 5, 2013.
Thousands of Ukrainian protesters are keeping up their vigil in Kyiv, where western diplomats have gathered for a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Demonstrators have been calling for the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych, after he backed out of a trade deal with the European Union.
On Thursday, several western officials attending the OSCE meeting challenged the Ukrainian government to consider the demands of protesters.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland attended the meeting and said this was "Ukraine's moment to meet the aspirations of its people" or to disappoint them.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced Western criticism of Ukraine's handling of the demonstrations.
Protests in Kyiv
1/10Ukrainian police officers stand in line during protests in Kyiv, Dec. 6, 2013.
2/10Kyiv's City Hall is now an organizational hub for protesters who have occupied the building, Dec. 6, 2013.
3/10Protesters rest inside Kyiv's City Hall building, Dec. 6, 2013.
4/10Supporters of Ukrainian EU integration sing and wave flags during a protest in front of the Ukrainian cabinet of ministers building in Kyiv, Dec. 6, 2013.
5/10Protesters eat at their tent camp in Independence Square in Kyiv, Dec. 5, 2013.
6/10Protesters drum on empty barrels as they rally in front of a government building in Kyiv, Dec. 5, 2013.
7/10A man wrapped in a Ukrainian flag distributes tea to protesters at Independence Square in Kyiv, Dec. 4, 2013.
8/10A man carrying a Ukrainian flag gestures as he stands on top of a bridge overlooking Independence Square, Kyiv, Dec. 4, 2013.
9/10Protesters clash with police during a demonstration in support of EU integration in Kyiv, Dec. 3, 2013.
10/10Police stand guard over protesters in front of parliament during a demonstration in support of EU integration, Dec. 3, 2013.
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Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told the group his government was "ready for dialogue" with the protesters.
Yanukovych is visiting China.
On Wednesday, three former Ukrainian heads of state - Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko - issued a joint statement, endorsing the anti-government protests.
The protests erupted last week, after the Yanukovych government refused to sign the EU trade deal, announcing instead that it would seek to preserve and strengthen its economic lifeline with Moscow.
Russia - Ukraine's largest foreign investor, trading partner and chief natural gas supplier - has in recent months exerted strong economic pressure on cash-strapped Kyiv in an apparent effort to derail the EU deal.
Earlier this year, Moscow imposed restrictions on goods from Ukraine, forcing a 25-percent drop in Ukrainian exports and dragging the Ukrainian economy into recession.
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