Yanukovych 'won't leave Ukraine'

A top aide to Ukraine’s beleaguered president says he has no intention of leaving the country.

Hanna Herman, a close ally of President Viktor Yanukovych, told The Associated Press that the president is visiting Kharkiv, a city in Ukraine’s east which is the heart of his support.

The trip comes a day after Mr Yanukovych and opposition leaders signed an agreement aimed at resolving Ukraine’s bloody political crisis.

The agreement calls for early elections and constitutional reform that reduce the president’s powers.

Ukrainian protesters say they have taken control of the presidential administration building in central Kiev, as opposition leaders press for the resignation of President Yanukovich.