mr. yanukovych to moscow. our international affairs editor gave us this analysis. my apologies.i'm joined, in fact, by our correspondent in kiev. thank you very much indeed for joining us. we have heard this morning that this call from the ruling party that a reshuffle should be organized. how has the news gone down with those remain camped out in independence square? >> first of all, among the protesters, they absolutely don't think a reshuffle would be enough. they want the resignation of the prime minister and the president and anything short of that will not be enough for them. in terms of reaction from political leaders, i spoke to a spokeswoman from the opposition party, and she seemed rather skeptical about whether the reshuffle what actually happened. she said that one group of mp's one of the reshuffle, but another mp said he did not want it, and that he did not think it would happen, and we will only see tomorrow whether there will be a reshuffle. expectations are that even if there is, it won't be enough. some people see this as an indication of a split within the par

mr. yanukovych's ouster from office. he seems determined not to repeat that experience. the question is whether he has overplayed his hand by giving into russian demands. the new generation of protesters empowered by the memories and failed promises of the orange revolution and the organizational tool of the internet, are equally determined not to give in. for them, this battle is about the soul of their nation. they were outraged by the government's 11th hour u-turn against an agreement with the e.u. which would have been an essential milestone towards full e.u. membership. the toxic situation here was further enflamed by the heavy and brutal hand of the police. the riot police used teargas, baton charges and stun grenades. the protesters responded with rocks. the result: dozens of injured on both sides and a foretaste of things to come in a crisis with no elegant or obvious solution. >> woodruff: for more on the protests and what it all means, i'm joined by former u.s. ambassador to the ukraine steven pifer, now a director and senior fellow at the brookings institution

mr. yanukovych could survive with moscow's help. >> ahead of the protest, the demonstrators remain defiant. >> the people want to turn to europe, but the government doesn't care. they have the power and the money. >> i'm against any deal. that means that putin could get ahold of ukraine. >> al jazeera, kiev. >> well, vladimir putin, president of russia, is not going to make yanukovych's life any easier after so many times he was cheated by him personally and other ukrainians. we have to take into consideration that yanukovych lowered his own price in butten's eyes after not signing. now he'll just have to do anything putin tells him, but at stake is his power, which means he doesn't want to do it. >> oh, no deal russia just yet. before the ukrainian went to russia, he went to china. for the redevelopment of the black sea port where david now reports. >> reporter: the home of russia's black sea fleet since the time of katherine the great. victor yanukovych gave an extension of lease on that base but got little in return for it. beijing's money looks to transform the prospects of the city ov

mr. yanukovych just have to go? that. in the beginning it was obviously in terms of the values itself where ukraine stands as a country. the corrupt society within the ukraine, the government corruption as well, it has gone so far, it's either yea or nay, that ukraine falls within another sphere of influence. >> you are oppositional to the government as well. when you talked to the u.s. leaders we saw senator mccain and murphy in ukraine, when you talked to them, what was the outlook, would it take a really violent crack down to force sanctions or do you think there's some other environment in which there might be sanctions? >> first of all, my organization what we are advocating is for a better future and that better future obviously for most of the ukrainians as they take to the streets is a future in ukraine. given the united states government we're very pleased with statements such as secretary kerry that so far discussed, in all essence secretary of states have not gone that far. sanctions would be the best bet. >> m

mr. yanukovych has moved closer back towards russia, which was against the deal because it won't have helpedussia supplies the ukraine with natural gas which keeps the people from freezing every winter. so that's a pretty big stick to wield. diana magnay is in kiev and witnessed what went on last night. >> it's 2:00 in the morning and it would appear that the riot police have decided that this is the time to go into the square in full force. i don't know how we're going to get in. this is the only way down, and there are police three deep, but we'll try. unclear how they're going to push through these barricades which have been up there for a long time. you can see the protesters manning the barricades. and there are hundreds of riot police here. but no easy access for them through into the square, which is exactly the way the protesters want it. so the police have moved down here with chain saws to try and saw through these barricades. and also use brute force to pull them back. and it does look as though in that corner, it is giving way. now you have this sea of helmets, the red helmets of

now ukraine's president viktor yanukovych has met with hootin to discuss strategic ties with russia mr yanik over each made a preplanned detour to sochi for the meeting on his way back from china where he was hoping to secure an aid package for ukraine's economy let's cross live now to artie's paul scott who is in kiev poor what further details to we have about the meeting between the two presidents. well the details of those meetings are that meeting between the two presidents are slowly beginning to emerge now ukraine's under fire president viktor yanukovych stopped off as you say in sochi for a meeting with his russian counterpart on his way back from china now although the exact details of the discussion haven't been divulged it's believed that yana cove it was looking for close economic and trade ties with russia now ukraine's economy is struggling right now the country is heavily in debt and struggling to pay some of its gas bills to russia and it's believed that yanick over it was trying to secure some kind of deal on that front now this will be of little consolation to the prot

post-integration with europe while yanukovych is in power because they can't progress further with these european talks. now, this comes at a sensitive time, because mr. yamukovych and other high level people why ukraine will hold talks with the russians later this week which it is possible some sort of deal would be signed bringing ukraine and russia close together. the people here in the square won't want to have anything happen that will dash their european hopes, and that's why i think that what the europeans have said today is a risky move and it might not go down well with the people here. >> all right. thank you. the latest there from kiev. >>> from europe a little later in the news hour, let's go back to laura. >> lauren, thanks very much. >>> still coming on "the news hour," on the verge of triumph yant return to power, she's ready to win the election. >>> the latest on palestinians a'flood emergency room. >>> a huge step to winning since the first time in 2007. >>> voting is under way in mali for a second round of parliamentary elections. it's intended to mark the country's return to democracy following a military coup in march of last year

mr. putin gave ukraine the an cash injection it desperately needs. we don't know on what terms and also a better price for its gas. so that helps yanukovychcountry. but it is making the protesters in the square especially angry. we've been hearing on the is taken behind me chants such as no to slavery, yes to europe. chants saying we know what the -- what russia is like. we know what the soviet union did to us. ukraine is not russia. and if you talk to people on the square, they're worried that are russia wants to bring ukraine back into a sort of soviet union style era ra way of being ruled. that's what they're scared of and that's why they're here, suzanne. >> and diana, this sort of economic block, if you like, it's called the customs union. now vladimir putin really, really wants this. and really to make it work, he needs ukraine on his side. how much strong arming is going on, and how much is this about having a competing block in the east against the european union? >> well, for the last few months since it became clear, michael, that ukraine was looking to move towards the west, was looking at signing this free trade deal with the