Ukrainian police have strengthened security near the country's presidential administration office ahead of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Kiev.
Medvedev is to arrive in the Ukrainian capital on a two-day visit later on Monday to hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych and sign a range of important bilateral agreements.
Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have said strengthened security is needed to prevent potential violence instigated by the country's opposition and assure safety of the Russian and Ukrainian presidents and officials.
Earlier, Ukrainian nationalists, who accuse Yanukovych of conducting anti-Ukrainian policies and bowing down to Russia, said they were planning to stage protests during Medvedev's visit to Kiev.
The Ukrainian court has prohibited the opposition of staging demonstrations on May 17, but police have warned that protests could still take place.
This will be Medvedev's second visit to Ukraine since Yanukovych was elected Ukrainian president in February. Yanukovych has twice visited Russia as the two former Soviet neighbors have rekindled their relations over the past three months.
Medvedev said on Sunday he hoped to sign a number of bilateral agreements concerning "energy cooperation, as well as cooperation in humanitarian exchanges, in interregional and international problems."
The Russian leader said agreements on Black Sea security, settlement in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdnestr and European security issues could also be signed.
Transdnestr has been considered a "frozen conflict" zone since a brief war in 1992, which was the culmination of tensions between Chisinau and Tiraspol following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE are mediators in the conflict; the EU and the United States are observers.
Yanukovych, who replaced Viktor Yushchenko in the presidential office, has made good on his campaign pledge to improve relations with Russia, which were soured by Yushchenko's anti-Russian policies.
In particular, Russia and Ukraine recently signed an agreement extending the lease on the Russian Black Sea Fleet base in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol for 25 years after the current lease expires in 2017. The deal, which gave Ukraine a 30% discount for Russian gas supplies, has infuriated the Ukrainian opposition, which has described it as posing a threat to Ukraine's sovereignty.
KIEV, May 17 (RIA Novosti)
