Deal signed to end Ukraine crisis; move to free Tymoshenko

Opposition protesters guard a barricade near Independence Square in Kiev on February 21, Photo: AFP

Kiev, Ukraine: Ukraine's embattled leader signed a deal Friday with the opposition in a bid to end the ex-Soviet country's worst crisis since independence after three days of carnage left nearly 100 protesters dead.

But President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to hold early elections and form a unity government while granting amnesty for protesters detained during the unrest was met with scepticism by many who simply want their leader to step down.