epa04061706 Protesters armed with sticks and shields rally near the maidan in central Kiev, Ukraine, 08 February 2014. Opposition groups have for weeks been staging violent protests in the capital Kiev and other parts of the country, demanding the president’s resignation and early elections. Ukrainian opposition leader Vitali Klitschko has urged the European Union (EU) to meditate in the country’s deep political crisis. EPA/IGOR KOVALENKO