Former heavyweight boxing world champion Vitali Klitschko says he will run for the Presidency of Ukraine. The swearing in of a new interim government was today delayed until Thursday.
General and Presidential elections are scheduled to take place on May 25th. Klitschko, also known as "Dr. Ironfist", told journalists in parliament "I will be on the ballot", according to AFP.
Meanwhile there is still no sign of the Pro-Russian President Victor Yanukoych who fled Kiev at the weekend.
Reporter Sabra Ayers said Ukraine is deeply divided by politics.
Acting leaders in Kiev have said they need US$35 billion (€25 billion) to avoid defaulting, with the US standing ready to provide financial support to boost an International Monetary Fund aid programme.
An existing US$15 billion (€11 billion) bailout from Russia is still on the table, but Moscow signalled a deal that cuts the price Kiev pays for Russian gas had an expiry date and would have to be renegotiated.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Viktor Yanukovych
Senior US officials are scheduled to meet with political, business and civil society leaders during a series of meetings in Kiev over the next few days.
But Russia has insisted it will not deal with the country's interim leaders, calling them "armed mutineers" who stole power from President Viktor Yanukovych.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev questioned their authority and described the situation in the country as "a real threat to our interests and to the lives of our citizens".
He said "There are big doubts about the legitimacy of a whole series of organs of power that are now functioning here".
Interim president Olexandr Turchinov
"It seems to me it is an aberration to call legitimate what is essentially the result of an armed mutiny. Strictly speaking, there is no one for us to communicate with there today."
But Ukraine's ambassador to the UN Yuriy Sergeyev says his remarks are 'absurd' - and the protesters had clearly shown that they had had enough.
Parliament is running the country until elections are held, with the top positions being held by former opposition figures.
On Sunday, ministers set a deadline for today to appoint a new national unity government. However they will now wait until Thursday.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Mr. Yanukovych for the "mass murder" of protesters during violent clashes in Kiev last week. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Ukrainian acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said the deposed leader had left a private residence in Balaclava in the Russian-speaking Crimea region, for an unknown destination with one of his aides.
