Protests in Kiev, Ukraine's capital, have evolved over the past week from groups of chanting citizens to demonstrations of hundreds of thousands of people, some of whom are demanding the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych after he refused to sign free trade and political agreements with the European Union.
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Yanukovych's refusal was a nod toward Russia, which disapproved of the pending deals. The president then dismissed his people's unrest, but his cavalier attitude only caused their ranks to swell. On Monday morning, Yanukovych announced he would sit down with other politicians to hash out the differences between him and his people, according to The New York Times, though it is unclear how the process will work.
Below, we've collected photos from the scene in Kiev.
Ukraine, a country of 46 million people, first signed a "partnership and cooperation" agreement with the European Union in 1994, but the two have had a tenuous relationship ever since. The country's debate over whether to integrate more formally with the EU is seen by many as a fight between politicians who favor economic and political union with the EU and those who fear siding with Western Europe would aggravate ties with Russia beyond repair. Russia and Ukraine were once under one flag as the Soviet Union, and Moscow remains Ukraine's largest foreign investor.
Above, people from this year's protests wave the flag of their nation and of the EU.
The 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine saw massive protests over similar reasons. Current President Yanukovych had just been elected, running on a campaign that touted a continued relationship with Russia. But his win was deemed fraudulent by supporters of the other candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, who advocated for a government that was more involved with the EU. Yanukovych resigned, but was reelected five years later, after Yushchenko's popularity plummeted.
Now Yanukovych has seen his own popularity deteriorate, as he has severed potential ties with the West and jailed political opponents.
Above, police stand watch over protesters.
Protesters this year first appeared in Kiev on Nov. 20, after the Ukrainian government halted negotiations with the EU.
The demonstrations have since grown to historical proportions.
Protesters tore down a statue of Russian communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin in Kiev's Independence Square. The act was symbolic of citizen anger at what many perceive to be a Russian hand behind the Ukrainian president's refusal to broaden his nation's partnership with the EU. A Ukraine that had better ties with the west would diminish Russian influence in Europe.
Though nearly everyone believes Yanukovych backed out of the EU deal so as to not anger his Eastern neighbor, some also believe it was because he is not willing to release the former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a political rival, from jail, according to CNN. Tymoshenko's freedom was a stipulation of the EU negotiations.
Above, an anti-government protester sledge hammers a Lenin statue.
At 4 a.m. on Nov. 30, the demonstrations turned violent.
Though only a few hundred protesters -- mostly college students -- remained in Maidan Square in Kiev at that hour, according to The Economist, the Ukrainian government sent police officers and men in plainclothes armed with batons to assault them. Dozens were injured, and it was the worst violence the country has seen since it gained independence.
Above, a woman holds a religious icon as she stands next to riot police.
Independence Square is full of blockades such as this, which protesters built to seal off roads leading to government buildings.
Following the violence of Nov. 30, thousands of protesters marched through the Ukrainian capital despite a court order banning rallies at the city center. Though their president said he was "outraged" by the violence, according to the BBC, many called for his resignation.
This woman handed out Ukrainian flag ribbons to drivers at Mykhayllivska Square in Kiev, where protesters rallied on Dec. 1 despite the sudden ban on gatherings in the central portion of the capital.
Protesters rest in Mykhayllivska Square after being attacked by police.
Yanukovych has said he believes in a peaceful resolution to the problems Ukrainians have addressed.
Above, protesters warm up by a tent camp.
Protests spread across the capital on the weekend of Dec. 7, and went virtually unchallenged by police. The New York Times reports that police have mostly backed off since their crackdown on Nov. 30.
Above, protesters gather in Independence Square.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the protests aren't related to Yanukovych's decision to turn away from the EU, according to CNN.
Above, protesters add extra protection to a makeshift wall in Independence Square.
As the rallies have grown, so has the worry of other nations. Western leaders and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Yanukovych to address the protesters, according to The New York Times. Some feared the Ukrainian president would declare a state of emergency, whereby protesters could be forcibly removed from the capital.
As of Monday, The New York Times reported that Yanukovych has agreed to sit down for a "roundtable" discussion to hash out protester demands, though it is still unclear what specific issues will be addressed. Three of the president's predecessors brought forth the idea.
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