BRUSSELS, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- The European Parliament said Tuesday it expected a delegation of lawmakers would travel later this week to Ukraine to discuss the unsteady political climate.
The European Parliament said 12 officials are scheduled for a two-day visit to Ukraine.
"Demonstrations and the government's response to them will be discussed with officials, the political opposition and demonstrators," the legislative body said in a statement.
Protests erupted in Ukraine in November when President Viktor Yanukovych suspended efforts to sign free trade and association agreements with the European Union. He said he the decision was made to protect Ukraine's economic ties to Russia.
Protests turned violent in January when the Yanukovych administration backed laws limiting protests, though Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti reported lawmakers in Kiev repealed the measures during Tuesday's session.
Yanokovych this week reached out to members of the opposition in an effort to defuse the political crisis and Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said Tuesday he was offering to resign.
"In order to create additional opportunities for social and political compromise, for the peaceful settlement of conflict, I have taken a personal decision to ask the president of Ukraine to accept my resignation," he was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying.
