Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych refuses to quit

The parliament building was guarded by protesters on Saturday morning

Ukrainian President Yanukovych has said he has no intention of quitting and has described events in the capital Kiev events as a "coup".

The opposition is effectively in control of the city and parliament.

Protesters have walked unchallenged into the president's official and residential buildings.

A deal was reached between Yanukovych and opposition leaders on Friday, but many protesters continue to demand his resignation.

In a pre-recorded interview aired on a Ukrainian TV station shortly after 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT), Yanukovych said he needed to "protect the people" and that he would "spare no effort to end the bloodshed".

The station gave Yanukovych's location as the eastern city of Kharkiv, close to the Russian border.

He said was the legitimately elected president, and that he would not leave Ukraine and would not resign.

He described the events in Kiev as "vandalism, banditry and a coup".

He also called a raft of votes in Ukraine's parliament on Friday "illegitimate".

All but one of 387 MPs present voted in favour of restoring the 2004 constitution, as mandated by the agreement signed on Friday. The 2004 constitution reduces the powers of the presidency.

MPs also voted to pave the way for the release of Mr Yanukovych's arch-rival Yulia Tymoshenko, who was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 for abuse of power.

The White House praised "the courageous opposition leaders who recognised the need for compromise".

The US remained prepared to impose sanctions on the Ukrainian government if the violence continues, it said in a statement.

Russia's Vladimir Putin told Barack Obama in a telephone conversation on Friday that Russia wants to be part of the implementation process, a US State Department spokesperson said.

Shortly after the deal was signed, Ukraine's parliament approved the restoration of the 2004 constitution, with all but one of the 387 MPs present voting in favour.

Parliament also approved an amnesty for protesters accused of involvement in violence.

MPs voted for a change in the law which could lead to the release of Yulia Tymoshenko, an arch-rival of Yanukovych.

She was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 for abuse of power. Her supporters say this was simply Yanukovych taking out his most prominent opponent.

Dozens of MPs from Yanukovych's own Party of Regions voted for the motions, in what correspondents say will be a humiliation for the president.

The protests first erupted in late November when Yanukovych rejected a landmark association and trade deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia.