Ukraine offers to devolve power

Government bows to Russian pressure in bid to prevent break-up of state

Russia's president Vladimir Putin

Roland Oliphant, Kiev

Kiev offered sweeping autonomous powers to regional governments in an attempt to defuse attempts by pro-Russian protesters to establish separatist republics in the east of Ukraine.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the acting prime minister, told regional leaders and businessmen in Donetsk that parliament should consider a "law on referendums . . . to allow regions to decide issues of key importance to them".