Thousands of Ukrainians have packed into Independence Square in Kiev to see former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who's been released from prison.

Russia expert at University College London, Martin McCauley, says one of the key questions is what President Putin will do.

The Ukrainian Parliament has voted to oust President Viktor Yanukovych - and will hold presidential elections on the 25th of May.

However, President Viktor Yanukovych says he will neither resign nor leave Ukraine.

Anti-government demonstrators had earlier claimed he'd stepped down.

They're now guarding the empty presidential compound in Kiev.

Sky's Matie Stallard - in Kiev - says the atmosphere, after days of violence, has completely changed:

The whereabouts of Yanukovych are currently unknown. The President was not in Parliament today, where Vitali Klitschko, leader of the Udar party, told parliament: "We must, as the people demand, adopt a resolution calling on Yanukovych to immediately resign."

The BBC reports that opposition protesters are apparently in full control of the government district and there are suggestions that Yanukovych has travelled to Kharkiv, near the Russian border.

AFP reports that an ultranationalist speakers last night, at a rally in Independence Square, called on protesters to storm the Presidential Palace if the President did not resign overnight. The call was met with applause and cheers.

An EU-mediated peace deal to end the crisis, which has claimed dozens of lives, was signed yesterday, however thousands of people are still on the streets of Kiev while opposition leaders are calling for the President to stand down immediately.

Yesterday’s deal saw the government agree to elections to forma unity government by the end of the year, however the opposition have said this is not soon enough and called for elections by May 25.

The BBC reports the once heavily guarded Presidential Palace is now seemingly deserted by security forces, with protesters standing around the grounds in disbelief.

The German foreign ministry has published the peace deal.

Agreement on the Settlement of Crisis in Ukraine

Concerned with the tragic loss of life in Ukraine, seeking an immediate end of bloodshed and determined to pave the way for a political resolution of the crisis,

We, the signing parties, have agreed upon the following:

1. Within 48 hours of the signing of this agreement, a special law will be adopted, signed and promulgated, which will restore the Constitution of 2004 including amendments passed until now. Signatories declare their intention to create a coalition and form a national unity government within 10 days thereafter.

2. Constitutional reform, balancing the powers of the President, the government and parliament, will start immediately and be completed in September 2014.

3. Presidential elections will be held as soon as the new Constitution is adopted but no later than December 2014. New electoral laws will be passed and a new Central Election Commission will be formed on the basis of proportionality and in accordance with the OSCE & Venice commission rules.

4. Investigation into recent acts of violence will be conducted under joint monitoring from the authorities, the opposition and the Council of Europe.

5. The authorities will not impose a state of emergency. The authorities and the opposition will refrain from the use of violence. The Parliament will adopt the 3rd amnesty, covering the same range of illegal actions as the 17th February 2014 law.

Both parties will undertake serious efforts for the normalisation of life in the cities and villages by withdrawing from administrative and public buildings and unblocking streets, city parks and squares.

Illegal weapons should be handed over to the Ministry of Interior bodies within 24 hours of the special law, referred to in point 1 hereof, coming into force. After the aforementioned period, all cases of illegal carrying and storage of weapons will fall under the law of Ukraine. The forces of authorities and of the opposition will step back from confrontational posture. The Government will use law enforcement forces exclusively for the physical protection of public buildings.

6. The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Poland and the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation call for an immediate end to all violence and confrontation. 

Kyiv, 21 February 2014

Signatories

President of Ukraine:

Viktor Yanukovych

For the Opposition:

Vitaliy Klichko, UDAR

Oleh Tyahnibok, Svoboda

Arsenij Yatseniuk, Batkivshchyna