Ukrainian opposition leaders Arseniy Yatseniuk (the head of the Batkivschyna faction), Vitali Klitschko (the head of the UDAR faction) and Oleh Tiahnybok (the head of the Svoboda faction) have met with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton.

The meeting lasted for about an hour, the Batkivschyna press service said.

Yatseniuk said after the meeting that the opposition "was true to its goal of making Ukraine a pro-European country and resolving the political and economic crisis."

In his words, the opposition is doing its utmost in order to settle the crisis and to find a solution. "We have made several demands, which are necessary for starting negotiations with the president and the government," he said.

"We did not receive a coherent answer. Yet, considering the level of support we are enjoying from the European Union, the United States and the western world, we think we can deal with this situation," Yatseniuk stressed.

The UDAR party quoted Klitschko as saying after the meeting that "much attention is being given to Ukraine and there is enormous support for the Ukrainian people's aspiration to live in a European democratic country."

"Consultations with our European partners continue," he added.

Ashton met with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in Kyiv on December 10. Ashton's spokesperson Maja Kocijancic said every pressing issue had been discussed.

Later on Ashton visited Kyiv's Euromaidan to familiarize herself with the living conditions of the protesters.