Ukraine braced for rival protests

Ukraine's opposition has called another monster rally to protest President Viktor Yanukovich's rejection of an EU trade in favour of a closer relationship with Moscow.

Opposition leaders urged a massive turnout for Sunday's rally on Independence Square where the crowd swelled to hundreds of thousands last weekend.

But tensions are expected to mount as authorities are planning a counter demonstration.

They too vowed to hold a "non-stop protest" and said they would bus thousands of Yanukovich supporters from the provinces to a park near the opposition camp.

Protesters have remained in Independence Square in the capital Kiev for more than three weeks since Yanukovich decided not to sign the EU deal.

Both US and European politicians have shown their support for the opposition's cause. 

Republican Senator John McCain flew to Kiev on Saturday for meetings with Vitali Klitschko, head of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform party (UDAR), nationalist leader Oleg Tyagnybok and Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the head of Yulia Tymoshenko's party.

He praised the protests as "an incredible show of patriotism".

President Yanukovich is under pressure to choose to align Ukraine with the West or with a Russian-led Customs Union.

He will travel to Moscow next week to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Protests began last month after the president's last-minute move to pull out of a landmark deal with the EU.

Yanukovych has said he fears the association and trade agreement will put at risk many enterprises dependent on trade with Russia.

The president - who says he eventually aims to sign the deal - has also admitted being under heavy pressure from Moscow, which wants Kiev to join a Russian-led customs union instead.

Several thousands pro-EU protesters remained overnight in Independence Square ahead of their rally, which is expected to start at 12:00 local time on Sunday.

Barricades around the perimeter of the main protest encampment in the heart of the capital have been strengthened following an attempt by special police to dismantle them earlier this week.

Opposition leaders have urged protesters to remain vigilant, fearing "provocateurs" could trigger clashes between rival demonstrators.

The opposition has also accused the authorities of bussing people into Kiev for the pro-government rally and providing them with money and food.

The authorities officially deny this, but a number of participants in the rally have said they were forced to take part.

The two rival camps held demonstrations close to each other on Saturday. There were no reports of any clashes.