Ukraine has been virtually paralyzed since this week's run-off election between the government's hand-picked successor, Viktor Yanukovich, resulted in the opposition candidate being declared the loser.
That declaration drew hundreds of thousands of supporters of Viktor Yushchenko to Kiev's center for demonstrations against an election that European and North American observers called rigged.
Eastern Ukrainians have vowed that failure to install Yanukovich as president will result in their secession.
Pro-Russian President Leonid Kuchma and Poland's president met Friday, and Kuchma was set to talk with Yushchenko and Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, and Lithuania's President Valdas Adamkus.
Such talks have provoked Moscow, whose foreign minister said some EU leaders "are attempting to draw some new border lines across Europe."
Meanwhile, another member of the central election commission withdrew her signature from the document validating Yanukovich's victory, bringing to six the number of members who now refuse to endorse the results. If the government loses the support of two more members, the results will be declared invalid and the election may have to be re-run.
Copyright 2004 by United Press International
