Ukraine descended into further political chaos today after President Viktor Yushchenko attempted to seize control of the national guard, prompting accusations he was trying to stage a coup.
In a presidential decree signed today, Mr Yushchenko took command of the troops away from the interior ministry, which is loyal to the governing coalition of Viktor Yanukovich, the prime minister.
But an interior ministry spokesman, Konstantin Stogniy, rejected Mr Yushchenko's decree as illegal. Mr Yanukovich accused the president of "seriously aggravating" the situation.
The president has repeatedly denied claims by Mr Yanukovich's hostile governing coalition that he is preparing to impose presidential rule. While the president has not yet declared a state of emergency, his attempt to seize control of the national guard shows that his administration is fed up with months of political deadlock.
Today, Mr Yushchenko said he despaired of finding a resolution. "Of course, we will continue the negotiating process in the coming days, but I would say I have little optimism that this can produce results," he told security officials.
Seizing control of key state institutions would allow the president to enforce early parliamentary elections, which have been frustrated by Mr Yanukovich's coalition.
The standoff between Ukraine's rival leaders has plunged the country into its worst political crisis since the two men contested the presidency, sparking the 2004 Orange Revolution.
On April 2 the president dissolved parliament, accused his rival of usurping power and ordered early elections. Mr Yanukovich's coalition rejected the move. The country's divided constitutional court has so far failed to resolve the issue.
The latest crisis began on Thursday when Mr Yushchenko fired the country's top prosecutor, Svyatoslav Piskun. The interior ministry sent dozens of police officers to surround the building in defiance of the order. The president replaced Mr Piskun with Viktor Shemchuk, an ally, today appointing him a member of the national security and defence council.
Analysts warned that Ukraine's rival factions were perilously close to resolving their stand-off through force.
"We can come to a situation where some of the generals in the ministry of interior obey parliament and the prime minister and others the president. This is dangerous," Vladimir Kornilov, a political analyst in Kiev, told the Guardian. "An escalation of the confrontation is possible. A lot depends on the position of the west."
The pro-western president has repeatedly declared that he wants Ukraine to eventually join both Nato and the European Union. Mr Yanukovich is viewed as being pro-Russian. His closeness to Moscow was signalled today when he was named chairman of the Commonwealth of Independent States at a summit of prime ministers from former Soviet republics meeting on the Crimean peninsula.
Russia said it was following events with concern. Russia's prime minister, Mikhail Fradkov, said Moscow was against an escalation of tension and Ukraine's constitution had to be observed.
Elections in Ukraine have already been put off from tomorrow to June 24.