In November 2013, after 5 years of talks, Ukraine and the European Union were about to sign a historical agreement to create a free-trade zone between Ukraine and the European Union in exchange for reforms in the political and legal system to make Ukraine a more democratic country.

http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/ukraine/



The president, Viktor Yanukovych, suddendly decided to stop the talks and cancel the agreement on November 20, 2013 (that's him on the right).



Viktor Yanukovych made international news in 2011 when he ordered Yulia Tymoshenko to prison.
Yulia Tymoshenkothe, the former prime minister, had just lost the 2010 presidential elections against Viktor Yanukovych and was sent to prison for 7 years for allegedly making disadvantageous natural gas agreements with Russia.
Several members of her former government were charged with various crimes and imprisoned in what appeared to be political vindication.
Yulia Tymoshenkothe was clearly in favor of the Ukraine-UE agreement.



Many Ukrainians want their country to have closer relations with the European Union and fear Russian influence. After all, Ukraine has only been an independent country since December 1991, when the Soviet bloc collapsed.



Peaceful protests started in November 2013, immediately after the president decided to stop the Ukraine-EU agreement. Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in the streets of Kiev, the Ukraininan capital.



Since November 2013, the protests did not stop. The president ordered harsh police repression of the protests, people built barricades and things got worse and worse.

Amnesty International has witnessed and condemned several Human Rights violations since November, which are listed here:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR50/020/2013/en



2011-01-20: Pro-European protesters aim fireworks at Ukrainian riot police in Kiev.

http://www.trust.org/item/20140120230652-tqxqy/

« Dear subscriber, you are registered as a participant in a mass disturbance. »

That's a text message that thousands of Ukrainian protesters simultaneously received on their cell phones on 2014-01-20, as a new law passed on 2014-01-16 prohibiting public demonstrations went into effect. The law carries a 15-year prison sentence if broken.





2014-01-22, police stormed the protesters in Kiev, leaving 5 dead and more than 300 wounded.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/ukraine-police-storm-kiev-protester-barricades-killing-5/story-e6frg6so-1226808228511

http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/ukraine

Sorry, no complementary cat after this.

 d-usa wrote:
What's more amazing is how this has pretty much gotten minimal attention on the news over here. I've been following it via the German news, but in the US this is hardly mentioned.

 Weltenwolf wrote:
This is really featured in german news? I only see one of the Klitschkos every second day, but not much more. Which channel should I try to get more?

 McNinja wrote:

 d-usa wrote:
What's more amazing is how this has pretty much gotten minimal attention on the news over here. I've been following it via the German news, but in the US this is hardly mentioned.

I actually had no idea until a friend of mine posted something about it on facebook. The fact that fething SNOW gets more attention than world-changing events goes to show how dissociated the US media is from the rest of the world.

The protesters are angry because their government caved in to Vladimir Putin’s bullying, instead of allowing Ukraine to cozy up to the European Union. The Ukrainian president decided he would rather make Mr. Putin happy, instead of making his people happy so that Mr. Putin would allow him to remain president for a long, long time. This is important because it shows that Putin is reconstructing the old soviet empire. He once said the collapse of that empire was the "greatest catastrophe of the 20th century." Now he is laboring to rebuild it, and, as you can see with Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia etc., he is making some good progress.

Spoiler:

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
On the other hand, the opposition is partially neo-nazis as well. There's some rather unsavory types on both sides.

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
On the other hand, the opposition is partially neo-nazis as well. There's some rather unsavory types on both sides.

 Weltenwolf wrote:
This is really featured in german news? I only see one of the Klitschkos every second day, but not much more. Which channel should I try to get more?

 LordofHats wrote:

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
On the other hand, the opposition is partially neo-nazis as well. There's some rather unsavory types on both sides.

It's a third world country. You pick whoever you'd rather see in charge and pretend their heroes of liberty regardless of truth

 Blacksails wrote:

 LordofHats wrote:

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
On the other hand, the opposition is partially neo-nazis as well. There's some rather unsavory types on both sides.

It's a third world country. You pick whoever you'd rather see in charge and pretend their heroes of liberty regardless of truth

Second world technically.

*Edit* Damnit, I wasted my 3000th post on a correction!

 daedalus wrote:

 Blacksails wrote:

 LordofHats wrote:

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
On the other hand, the opposition is partially neo-nazis as well. There's some rather unsavory types on both sides.

It's a third world country. You pick whoever you'd rather see in charge and pretend their heroes of liberty regardless of truth

Second world technically.

*Edit* Damnit, I wasted my 3000th post on a correction!

In my parts, most people don't know what the actual meaning of first world/second world/third world is, causing such strange events as hearing people refer to Russia and China as third world countries.

It doesn't appear to have any meaning or use as a term beyond a vague slur.

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
I usually troll people by pointing out that Sweden's a third-world country.

 Breotan wrote:
How can Sweden be a third world country? They have chocolate and a world class bikini team.

 Grey Templar wrote:
What is the probability of Russian troops moving in to "restore order" and never leave?

 LordofHats wrote:
Why would they need to restore order? In the end the Ukraine government is likely to win, in which case the Ukraine remains a Russian puppet state.

If it fails, they can welcome the new Ukrainian government with a nice benefits package, because the people who end up in the new government are the same kind of people already there.

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:
NBC: Headline: Flying robots could solve crime, no mention at all on the news page.

 Grey Templar wrote:
What is the probability of Russian troops moving in to "restore order" and never leave?

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:

So the only major american news channel to feature this important story was Fox...

 dogma wrote:

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:

So the only major american news channel to feature this important story was Fox...

This isn't an important news story.

 purplefood wrote:
It's reasonably important...
It's at least as important as some random teacher smoking weed and the possibility of flying crime solving robots (However awesome that second one sounds)

 loki old fart wrote:

 purplefood wrote:
It's reasonably important...
It's at least as important as some random teacher smoking weed and the possibility of flying crime solving robots (However awesome that second one sounds)

More important than Justin Bieber getting nicked in a car, I would have thought.

 d-usa wrote:

 Weltenwolf wrote:
This is really featured in german news? I only see one of the Klitschkos every second day, but not much more. Which channel should I try to get more?

I check Spiegel.de on a daily basis and they have been talking about it.

Now granted it's not "top of the page" headline news, but it's usually not far down from the top. I don't think I have seen it mentioned on the front page of CNN.com at all.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 McNinja wrote:

 d-usa wrote:
What's more amazing is how this has pretty much gotten minimal attention on the news over here. I've been following it via the German news, but in the US this is hardly mentioned.

I actually had no idea until a friend of mine posted something about it on facebook. The fact that fething SNOW gets more attention than world-changing events goes to show how dissociated the US media is from the rest of the world.

The news interrupted one of our politicians giving an interview to break the story of Bieber getting arrested...

 McNinja wrote:

 d-usa wrote:
What's more amazing is how this has pretty much gotten minimal attention on the news over here. I've been following it via the German news, but in the US this is hardly mentioned.

I actually had no idea until a friend of mine posted something about it on facebook. The fact that fething SNOW gets more attention than world-changing events goes to show how dissociated the US media is from the rest of the world.

 purplefood wrote:
It's reasonably important...

 Ketara wrote:
The country will probably split in two shortly.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Eurovision this year is going to be a fething mess.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Eurovision this year is going to be a fething mess.

Johnnytorrance wrote:
is that a surprise?

we had the current administration using the IRS to target and destroy political opposition

funneling firearms to mexican drug cartels in an attempt to bolster anti-gun/super gun control support (explain that irony)

pass garbage healthcare legislation at a time when 75% of the country didn't want it, then force a government shutdown instead of delaying the healthcare law which mind you wasn't ready at launch and still isn't ready

have 4 US personnel including an ambassador killed over sea's, the first one in 30 years, immediate blame it on some guy who made a video, when in fact they knew it was al Qaeda that attacked the compound. then go on 5 different news networks and lie to the american people

All these things could get the president impeached mind you

and none of it ever caught steam on the major news networks.

but a governor from NJ has a few lanes on a bridge closed down causes a traffic jam and its everywhere, to include an immediate response from the justice department to start a full blown investigation.

Johnnytorrance wrote:
All these things could get the president impeached mind you.

Johnnytorrance wrote:

and none of it ever caught steam on the major news networks.

 ScootyPuffJunior wrote:

No. Having sexual relations with an intern is how to get impeached.

 dogma wrote:

No. Having sexual relations with an intern is how to get impeached.

 dogma wrote:

 ScootyPuffJunior wrote:

No. Having sexual relations with an intern is how to get impeached.

Nah, committing perjury is.

 Blacksails wrote:

 LordofHats wrote:

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
On the other hand, the opposition is partially neo-nazis as well. There's some rather unsavory types on both sides.

It's a third world country. You pick whoever you'd rather see in charge and pretend their heroes of liberty regardless of truth

Second world technically.

*Edit* Damnit, I wasted my 3000th post on a correction!

 Iron_Captain wrote:

 Blacksails wrote:

 LordofHats wrote:

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
On the other hand, the opposition is partially neo-nazis as well. There's some rather unsavory types on both sides.

It's a third world country. You pick whoever you'd rather see in charge and pretend their heroes of liberty regardless of truth

Second world technically.

*Edit* Damnit, I wasted my 3000th post on a correction!

Actually, it isn't second world anymore as the second world ceased to exist after the Cold War. The 'three worlds theory' is pretty much outdated and invalid at this point, but if we still were to use it, Ukraine is much closer to the first world than it is to the third world.
People really need to come up with a new term for the area. Former Soviet Union is really getting outdated.


Aside from that, it is important to remember that the protesters in Kiev do not represent the entire Ukrainian people. They only represent the Western half of the country which is usually in favor of stronger ties to the EU, while the East and South are usually in favor of stronger ties to Russia.
Also, Yanukovich's government was democratically elected, so I would say that they are the most democratic side here. If the protesters disagree with the government, they should wait until the next election. That is how it is supposed to go in a democracy,
Protesting is a perfectly fine way to show your disagreement, but the barbaric way in which the protesters act is unworthy of a democracy. The same goes for the government's reaction.
They should all sit down, have nice tea and biscuits (or vodka and varenyky in this case) and discuss the matter in a civilized way.

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Actually, it isn't second world anymore as the second world ceased to exist after the Cold War. The 'three worlds theory' is pretty much outdated and invalid at this point, but if we still were to use it, Ukraine is much closer to the first world than it is to the third world.
People really need to come up with a new term for the area. Former Soviet Union is really getting outdated.


Aside from that, it is important to remember that the protesters in Kiev do not represent the entire Ukrainian people. They only represent the Western half of the country which is usually in favor of stronger ties to the EU, while the East and South are usually in favor of stronger ties to Russia.
Also, Yanukovich's government was democratically elected, so I would say that they are the most democratic side here. If the protesters disagree with the government, they should wait until the next election. That is how it is supposed to go in a democracy,
Protesting is a perfectly fine way to show your disagreement, but the barbaric way in which the protesters act is unworthy of a democracy. The same goes for the government's reaction.
They should all sit down, have nice tea and biscuits (or vodka and varenyky in this case) and discuss the matter in a civilized way.

 Iron_Captain wrote:

Actually, it isn't second world anymore as the second world ceased to exist after the Cold War. The 'three worlds theory' is pretty much outdated and invalid at this point, but if we still were to use it, Ukraine is much closer to the first world than it is to the third world.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:
Thus far it's still the best option.

 LordofHats wrote:
Elections in the Ukraine are like elections in Russia. Fake. The government decides who wins the election before it evens starts the election it self only serves the purpose of making the people think they have power.

 LordofHats wrote:

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:
Thus far it's still the best option.

It's really not. The distinctions made by the theory are mostly superficial and meaningless to actually understanding a country hence why I don't subscribe to it. Functionally the Ukraine can look like a mode developed country all it wants, but there isn't much that separates it functionally from Iraq or Egypt or even Nigeria. You can draw such distinctions if you want, but if you actually look at the countries discusses and how they function you're likely to find the distinction isn't very valid.

being higher up on the economic totem pole ultimately says very little about a countries social or political development.

 Iron_Captain wrote:

Elections in Russia are probably more fair than those in the US.

Firstly because it relies on the assumtion that elections in Russia are fak

economy, not on politics

The distinction is more than valid. There is a massive difference on all levels between the Ukraine and Nigeria. Have you ever actually been to the Ukraine?

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Elections in Russia are probably more fair than those in the US. There the big money decide who is going to win before the election even starts.

Making allegations like this really serves no purpose unless you can proof it.

 LordofHats wrote:
For the most part we can reliably expect the winner of a US election to be the person who actually won via votes

 ScootyPuffJunior wrote:

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Elections in Russia are probably more fair than those in the US. There the big money decide who is going to win before the election even starts.

And there is where you loose all credibility.

Making allegations like this really serves no purpose unless you can proof it.

...like you just did?

 LordofHats wrote:

Firstly because it relies on the assumtion that elections in Russia are fak

They are. The political factions in Russia have been deciding the outcome of elections ever since the ousting of Yeltsin. You can ask any expert on the politics of Russia about this and they'll confirm it. It's well known that the Russian politically establishment is only superficially democratic. In practice its really an oligarchy run by many of the same people who ran the Soviet Union.

A couple years ago it was apparently a very interesting time to be a specialist on Russia because of the dealings between the political supporters of Putin and Medvedev. The only reason Medvedev became president was because he agreed to allow Viktor Zubkov to be Prime Minister and would allow Putin to become president again in the future with Medvedev as his Prime Minister (current status quo).

At most, Russia does its best to appear democratic, but functionally the elections are meaningless as anything more than a public opinion poll. Current Russian politics are only different from those of the USSR in that people don't get sent to the gulag anymore (these days they just go to prison).

 LordofHats wrote:

economy, not on politics

The original Three World's theory was all about politics of the Cold War; First World (US and its Allies, essentially NATO nations), Second World (USSR and its Allies, essentially Soviet Bloc + China and North Korea), and the Third World being everyone else who wasn't directly allied to anyone.

In practice around the late 80's and early 90's as the Cold War wound down people began using the theory more broadly to rank nations but this was quickly abandoned because it was mostly based in economics and the economic parity of a state says little about its political and social development. Many in economics and international politics use the model because its still useful (in international politics its mostly used in the same old political context to describe the political history of a region), but in other fields its pretty much worthless. The criteria used to create the 'second world' is bunk. It doesn't function when applied.

 LordofHats wrote:

The distinction is more than valid. There is a massive difference on all levels between the Ukraine and Nigeria. Have you ever actually been to the Ukraine?

The difference is mostly economic which is kind of my point. Their economic difference belly social and political similarities. If anything I'd be so bold as to point out Nigeria is more politically stable than Ukraine.

 Iron_Captain wrote:

I was hoping the at the end of the sentence would be enough to mark it as a joke.
US elections seem generally fair. Altough I have no doubts that big businesses and secret services do wield considerable influence behind the curtains, in the end I do not believe their influence is large enough to set the election results. The final decision is still made by the voters.

 Grey Templar wrote:

 Iron_Captain wrote:

Elections in Russia are probably more fair than those in the US.

O'man, that's rich. Just rich.

 d-usa wrote:
What's more amazing is how this has pretty much gotten minimal attention on the news over here. I've been following it via the German news, but in the US this is hardly mentioned.

 Frazzled wrote:
Well time is limited. We have to explore the Justin Bieber arrest fully. Priorities have to be made.

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
Woaw Iron_Captain (Voor een Nederlander ben je toch mis geinformeerd als het om Rusland gaat).

IMHO is Russia a Democracy in Name only, the way it is run is more closely to China, the people have more to buy but government still limits what the people can do and say (remember Pussy riot?).

 Wyrmalla wrote:
There's been one post in this thread regarding Benghazi. *Whatever that new story is...

 whembly wrote:
Hey!

Tell them that I don't bite that hard!

But, to your points... they have merits as the news channel is a defacto-entertainment business, rather than the ol' Hard. Hitting. News. journalism.

That's why I'd always advocate reading/watching sources across the political spectrum.

chaos0xomega wrote:
ABC news had a story on the situation in Ukraine this morning, it was brief (probably less than 5 minutes long) and didn't really go into much detail other than a brief overview of "yeah, so stuff is happening in Ukraine because people disagree with the people, and both sides are warning things could get worse" overlayed with images of protesters and police setting gak on fire.

 djones520 wrote:
I like that we're spending more time talking about how no one is talking about the event, then we are actually talking about the event.

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:
The BBC World Service reported this afternoon that the president is threatening to declare a state of emergency and declare martial law, bringing in the military.

It went on to suggest this may facilitate the president calling on aid and 'intervention' from Ukraine's 'good friend' Russia.

 Iron_Captain wrote:

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
Woaw Iron_Captain (Voor een Nederlander ben je toch mis geinformeerd als het om Rusland gaat).

IMHO is Russia a Democracy in Name only, the way it is run is more closely to China, the people have more to buy but government still limits what the people can do and say (remember Pussy riot?).

I am ill-informed about Russia for a Dutchman? Funny, considering that I am half Russian myself. I would guess I know more about Russia than 99% of the Dutch population. Most Dutchmen have never even been to Russia.
I've never said Russia is a democracy. Russia has never been a democracy and Russia will probably never be a democracy. Russia is as authoritarian as it has always been.

Aside from this, there is no country in the world that is a true (direct) democracy. Representive democracy is only a very flawed, light form of democracy.
Switzerland is the only country that comes close to being an actual democracy.

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
it is like we are back to the middle ages or roman empire where the government does what it wants and uses bread and play to keep the masses docile.

 Bromsy wrote:
Well, as a humanitarian gesture, any cute Ukrainian (or Hungarian I guess) girls who need a place to crash are welcome to use my couch; y'know, while all these troubles sort themselves out.

 sebster wrote:
For what it's worth, Hungary has been drifting in to dictatorship for a long time as well. As in, the inner circle of government has absolute freedom to spy on people in government, and can fire them if it finds anything it doesn't like (exactly what the legal limit on that is is scarily vague).

Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Ukraine's Prime Minister Mykola Azarov submitted his resignation Tuesday in a bid to ease the political crisis rocking his country, according to a statement posted on the government's website.

His action is intended to "create more opportunities for social and political compromise for a peaceful settlement of the conflict," his statement said.

That conflict "is a threat to the entire Ukrainian society and every citizen," Azarov said, adding that the government was doing all it could to prevent bloodshed.

There is no word yet on whether President Viktor Yanukovych has accepted the resignation.

Azarov's move came as the country's Parliament met in a special session aimed at ending a political crisis that has sparked days of violent protests.

The lawmakers are due to debate the repeal of sweeping anti-protest laws rammed through Parliament on January 16 by members of Yanukovych's Party of Regions.

The Parliament held a moment's silence to remember the several people killed in demonstrations since the law was passed, state news agency Ukrinform reported.

Anger over the legislation escalated long-running anti-government protests into violent confrontations, with police and protesters fighting pitched battles in the capital's icy streets.

It's not clear how far the resignation of Azarov will go to satisfy the demands of protesters who, despite the cold and threat of violence, have massed in and around central Kiev's Independence Square, or Maidan, to demand Yanukovych's ouster and new elections.

Vitali Klitschko, leader of the opposition Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms party, or UDAR, told reporters he believed Azarov had submitted his resignation to avoid liability over the current situation.
"It is important to stop repression, which has burst out across the country by authorities when people are unreasonably thrown in jail. We must put an end to it. We will use any platform to defend the interests of people either at a parliamentary tribune, or in the streets," Klitschko said, according to his party's website.

Another round of talks was held Monday between the government and the opposition as they sought a resolution to the crisis.

Justice Minister Olena Lukash said Monday that opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who heads the Fatherland Party, had refused Yanukovich's offer to be prime minister.

If he had accepted, he would have been able to dismiss the current government, which has been one of the protesters' demands. But he would likely have been seen as selling out by many of the protesters in the street.

Lukash said late Monday that the anti-protest laws passed on January 16 would be repealed and the protesters who occupied her ministry would receive amnesty -- as long as they cleared out of "all seized premises and roads."

Anti-government demonstrators had seized the Justice Ministry building on Sunday night but cleared out Monday after Lukash threatened to impose a state of emergency.

Opposition spokeswoman Lesya Orobets warned that such a step could lead to the use of military units to suppress protests.

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, who is expected to arrive Tuesday in Kiev in a bid to defuse the crisis, also urged the government not to impose a state of emergency.

The move "would trigger a further downward spiral for Ukraine, which would benefit no one," she said in a written statement late Monday.

"What is urgently needed is a genuine dialogue to build a new consensus on the way forward," Ashton said. "I hope that the Ukrainian parliament will set a clear path during tomorrow's session towards a political solution. This must include revoking the package of laws passed on 16 January."

Ashton will travel to Kiev after attending a long-planned "Russia summit" in Brussels, Belgium, with Russian President Vladimir Putin, her spokesman, Michael Mann, said Tuesday.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy are also taking part in the summit. It's expected to last about 2.5 hours, shorter than originally planned, Mann said.

There have been tensions between Russia and the European Union over developments in Ukraine, with each side accusing the other of interference.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called Yanukovych on Monday night to reiterate American support for "a peaceful, political solution to the crisis," the White House said.

"Underscoring that no time should be lost, the vice president urged President Yanukovych to pull back riot police and work with the opposition on immediate measures to de-escalate tensions between protesters and the government," a White House readout of the call stated.

"He also urged the government to take concrete steps during tomorrow's parliamentary session to respond to the full and legitimate concerns of the Ukrainian people, including by repealing the anti-democratic laws passed on January 16."

Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, is home to 45 million people. The clashes over the past 10 days are an escalation of weeks of largely peaceful public protests prompted by Yanukovych's decision in November to spurn a planned trade deal with the European Union and turn toward Russia instead.

The mass protests have galvanized the opposition parties challenging Yanukovych and his government.

Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing champion, said Sunday that he had rejected the post of deputy prime minister on humanitarian issues.

His announcement was greeted by loud cheers from the crowd -- but his UDAR party said it was ready to continue negotiations with the government.

After the talks Monday, Klitschko said he hoped Yanukovych's government would not invoke a state of emergency -- a step he said would "result in a new phase of the crisis escalation and will take us nowhere."

Kavik_Whitescar wrote:

 Bromsy wrote:
Well, as a humanitarian gesture, any cute Ukrainian (or Hungarian I guess) girls who need a place to crash are welcome to use my couch; y'know, while all these troubles sort themselves out.

Such a humanitarian, I cant stand and let you struggle alone! My bed and couches are also open to those mentioned above.

Can Dakka Dakka not provide enough beds for the attractive Ukranian (or Hungarian) gals who need a place to crash?

 sebster wrote:
For what it's worth, Hungary has been drifting in to dictatorship for a long time as well. As in, the inner circle of government has absolute freedom to spy on people in government, and can fire them if it finds anything it doesn't like (exactly what the legal limit on that is is scarily vague).

 Bromsy wrote:
Well, as a humanitarian gesture, any cute Ukrainian (or Hungarian I guess) girls who need a place to crash are welcome to use my couch; y'know, while all these troubles sort themselves out.

Kavik_Whitescar wrote:

Can Dakka Dakka not provide enough beds for the attractive Ukranian (or Hungarian) gals who need a place to crash?

 kronk wrote:

Kavik_Whitescar wrote:

Can Dakka Dakka not provide enough beds for the attractive Ukranian (or Hungarian) gals who need a place to crash?

My bed fit 7.5, but only 4 if they want to actually sleep.

Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Ukraine is on the brink of civil war, the Eastern European country's first post-independence President warned Wednesday as parliament met again to debate a possible amnesty for protesters arrested during two months of demonstrations.

Leonid Kravchuk, Ukraine's President from 1991 to 1994, addressed a special parliamentary session to seek a way out of a deepening political crisis following weeks of mass protests that have crippled the capital, Kiev.
"Let's be honest, the situation is dramatic. Both Ukraine and the world recognize the country is on the brink of civil war," Kravchuk said.

Wednesday's session comes after a day of political upheaval when Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his Cabinet resigned and draconian anti-protest laws were annulled.

Opposition politicians and activists welcomed the concessions made but said they were only a small step toward the change needed.

They want to see wide-ranging constitutional reform and a shake-up of the Ukrainian political system to shift the balance of power back toward parliament.

Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko, of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms party, or UDAR, said on his party's website that the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych would be "a logical step."

Kiev's snow-covered streets remained calm Wednesday, namely around the demonstrators' makeshift barricades in the central Independence Square and a road leading up to parliament -- the scene of violent confrontations last week.

"I think the people should not leave the barricades," one Kiev resident told CNN. "Nothing is decided yet, let them decide -- now they just promise but don't make decisions. People are being tricked. They are tired of it."

Ukraine's parliament, or Verkhovna Rada, is considering legislation that might provide amnesty for more than 200 people arrested since the demonstrations began in late November, centered on Independence Square.

Debate began Tuesday but continued into Wednesday. "The amnesty issue is not simple and difficult negotiations continue," state news agency Ukrinform quoted parliament's chairman, Volodymyr Rybak, as saying Tuesday.

Nationalist opposition party Svoboda, or Freedom, led by Oleg Tiahnybok, said the main bone of contention is that the government insists protesters must leave Independence Square before any amnesty law can take effect.
"The opposition, of course, cannot accept this condition," said a statement on the party's website.

Klitschko told journalists he was opposed to any bloodshed, but that demands in the government's proposed amnesty bill remained unacceptable.

"People took to the streets because they want to change the situation. A statement 'We will free people, if they go home' is unacceptable. It cannot be understood," he is quoted as saying on the UDAR website.

"Today, the key issue is the confrontation between people and government. Withdrawal of charges and amnesty is not enough."

Parliament's vote Tuesday in favor of repealing the controversial anti-protest laws, rammed through January 16 in a show of hands by members of Yanukovych's Party of Regions, was overwhelming.

The repeal legislation has still to be signed off by Yanukovych.

Anger about the controversial anti-protest laws escalated the long-running protests into violent confrontations in the capital, with police and protesters fighting pitched battles among burning tires and barricades.

The legislation also prompted concern in the European Union and United States, where leaders condemned what appeared to be an attempt to limit freedom of speech and the right to protest.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton traveled to Kiev and met Yanukovych on Wednesday.

"It's important to stop the senseless violence. ... The dialogue that happens from time to time needs to become a real dialogue," Ashton later told a news conference.

"It's very clear that people are very keen to find a solution. ...There is no question of the importance of finding a quick way forward."

Under Ukrainian law, Azarov's resignation as prime minister triggered the resignation of his government with him.

But he and his Cabinet will continue in a caretaker function until a new government is formed, the presidential website said.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who heads the opposition Fatherland party, refused an offer from Yanukovych over the weekend to be prime minister.

Klitschko also turned down an offer to be vice prime minister of humanitarian affairs.

According to the law, a new government should be formed within 60 days.

Yanukovych's representative in parliament, Party of Regions lawmaker Yuriy Miroshnychenko, told parliament Wednesday that discussions on the makeup of a new Cabinet could begin next week, Ukrinform reported.

"We cannot talk about the political color of the government, because there is no response from the opposition regarding seats on the Cabinet of Ministers, and it will be clear only after the talks whether this is a technical government or a political government," he said, according to the news agency.

The next presidential election is due in March next year.

Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, is home to 45 million people. The recent clashes are an escalation of weeks of largely peaceful public protests prompted by Yanukovych's decision in November to spurn a planned trade deal with the European Union and turn toward Russia.

He and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on a $15 billion deal for Russia to buy Ukrainian debt and slash the price of natural gas.

Putin has denied that Moscow is exerting undue influence in Ukraine.
"Russia has always respected, is respecting and will respect the sovereign rights of all the international entities including new states that emerged after breakdown of the Soviet Union," Putin said, speaking after a summit Tuesday with senior EU figures in Belgium.

Putin also said Russia would stick to the loan and energy commitments to Ukraine -- agreed in December -- even if the opposition comes to power.

 Captain Fantastic wrote:
Looks like a smashing good time. I wish I lived in a cool country where freedom wasn't just something we read about in text books, but something that is truly alive and moving that people are willing to fight for, or at least pretend to be interested in at the chance to cause some mayhem.

 Captain Fantastic wrote:
Looks like a smashing good time. I wish I lived in a cool country where freedom wasn't just something we read about in text books, but something that is truly alive and moving that people are willing to fight for, or at least pretend to be interested in at the chance to cause some mayhem.

 Seaward wrote:

 Captain Fantastic wrote:
Looks like a smashing good time. I wish I lived in a cool country where freedom wasn't just something we read about in text books, but something that is truly alive and moving that people are willing to fight for, or at least pretend to be interested in at the chance to cause some mayhem.

What's so wrong with Japan?

 Captain Fantastic wrote:

I'm an American.

I'm sure the Japanese would be willing to fight for what they think is right, if they were ever confronted with something that demanded it. Preserving the Japanese identity, and the homogeneous society that they have built would be worth fighting for.

Ukrainian police are storming the main anti-government protest camp in the capital, Kiev, after months of occupation.

Explosions are taking place, fireworks are being thrown and large fires have broken out in Independence Square, known locally as the Maidan.

Police have deployed water cannon.

During the day, at least 13 people were killed, including six policemen, as protesters and security forces clashed in the worst violence in weeks.

 Palindrome wrote:
Its really kicked off in the Ukraine

Ukrainian police are storming the main anti-government protest camp in the capital, Kiev, after months of occupation.

Explosions are taking place, fireworks are being thrown and large fires have broken out in Independence Square, known locally as the Maidan.

Police have deployed water cannon.

During the day, at least 13 people were killed, including six policemen, as protesters and security forces clashed in the worst violence in weeks.

 Seaward wrote:

 Captain Fantastic wrote:

I'm an American.

I'm sure the Japanese would be willing to fight for what they think is right, if they were ever confronted with something that demanded it. Preserving the Japanese identity, and the homogeneous society that they have built would be worth fighting for.

But you think Americans wouldn't, huh?

Interesting. I suppose everything from Occupy Wall Street to the Civil Rights Movement to the Civil War to the Revolution itself are all examples of Americans failing to fight for what they believe to be right.

Maybe Ukrainians need to fight so hard right now because I myself am older than Ukrainian democracy? Maybe established, settled democracies with over two hundred years to their credit don't need to wage quite so many street battles anymore, having figured out rule of law and orderly succession and all that jazz? I don't know. I'm just spitballing here.

I didn't say that, but I'm amazed how much insanity is just swept under the carpet and ignored and left unchallenged.

Occupy? Occupy was a bunch of pretentious unemployed losers gathering in the streets on work-days to protest about "something". Occupy was a clear indication that the fine art of protesting has disappeared from American Society.

 whembly wrote:
Jeebus...



*boggles mind*

feeder wrote:
I notice the riot police in Whembley's photo are not wearing uniforms. Is this because the Ukrainian State can't afford nice uniforms or because they are hiring any misanthrope willing to swing a stick in the streets?

 Weltenwolf wrote:
This is really featured in german news? I only see one of the Klitschkos every second day, but not much more. Which channel should I try to get more?

 Commissar-Danno wrote:
Well there has been an interesting twist to the Ukraine riots, some of the police officers have been captured by the rioters. At :21 seconds you can see police officers being escorted through the protesters camp. The official report from the Ukrainian government is 67 Police have been captured but the actual number is yet to be determined.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRnoAdD7K8M

http://news.yahoo.com/melee-kiev-33-people-dead-67-police-captured-153947510.html

Medium of Death wrote:So how long before the army steps in and begins shooting their own people?

Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:When Putin gives the go-ahead?

 Palindrome wrote:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26271314

Right at the end there is a shot of a security forces sniper. I think at this stage an open civil war isn't very far away.

Its interseting how all the protestors seem to have riot sheilds.

 Palindrome wrote:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26271314

Right at the end there is a shot of a security forces sniper. I think at this stage an open civil war isn't very far away.

Its interseting how all the protestors seem to have riot sheilds.

In a statement, they said targeted sanctions including asset freezes and visa bans would be introduced "as a matter of urgency".

At least 21 anti-government protesters died in clashes in Kiev on Thursday.

Officials said that one policeman had also died and that 67 police had been captured by protesters.

"No circumstances can justify the repression we are currently witnessing," the statement from EU foreign ministers said.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the "prime responsibility" to get talks between the two sides under way lay with President Viktor Yanukovych.

Speaking after an emergency meeting of EU foreign minsters in Brussels, she said ministers had expressed their "dismay" at the latest violence and had agreed to "suspend export licences for equipment for internal repression".

Implementation of the measures "will be taken forward in light of developments in Ukraine", she added.

The EU has until now refrained from imposing sanctions on Ukraine, preferring to emphasise dialogue and compromise.

The US state department had already announced visa bans on 20 members of the Ukrainian government but has not provided any names.

 Breotan wrote:
I don't know how awe inspiring the threat of U.S. sanctions is, given we have next to no trade with the Ukraine and how little regional influence we have anymore.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has signed a deal with the country’s opposition to hold presidential elections early, form a national unity government and make constitutional changes reducing his powers, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by Al Jazeera.

Constitutional reform will begin immediately with an end goal of finalizing the new constitution by September, but for the time being Ukraine will restore its 2004 constitution. Presidential elections will be held as soon as the new constitution is adopted, no later than December 2014.

In a related move on Friday, Ukraine's parliament voted to allow the release of imprisoned opposition figure and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was jailed in 2011 on controversial abuse of power charges.

Yanukovich announced Friday's agreement after all-night talks with the opposition and three European Union ministers, aimed at resolving a crisis in which at least 77 people have been killed in gun battles between protesters and police that began Tuesday.

"As the president of Ukraine and the guarantor of the constitution, today I am fulfilling my duty before the people, before Ukraine and before God in the name of saving the nation, in the name of preserving people's lives, in the name of peace and calm of our land," the president said in a statement on his website.

After several hours of silence from the opposition, leader Vitali Klitschko confirmed to the German newspaper Bild that his side would sign the deal but said further talks would be needed to quell protests.

Klitschko, leader of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR), Oleh Tyahnibok, head of the rightist Svoboda party, and Arseniy Yatsenyuk of the Fatherland party, signed the agreement on behalf of the opposition, the document says.

The agreement further dictates that all acts of violence over the past few months will be investigated and that all illegal weapons must be surrendered to the Ministry of Interior. “Both parties will undertake serious efforts for the normalization of life,” it added.

It is unclear how much sway the opposition’s three most visible political leaders will have in convincing protesters to return to their daily lives.

European leaders who helped broker the deal praised the significant step forward for Ukraine.

“I welcome the agreement reached between the government and the opposition in Ukraine,” said European Council president Herman Van Rompuy, who added that the agreement was made possible, in part, by diplomats from France, Germany, Poland and Russia. “It is now the responsibility of all parties to be courageous and turn words into deeds for the sake of Ukraine's future.”

Several deputies exchanged blows as the chamber descended into chaos for several minutes. The speaker, Yanukovich ally Volodymyr Rybak, then left the chamber, but some of the deputies continued the debate.

On the streets, a shaky peace reigned in the protest camps in downtown Kiev after the days of fighting, which left at least 577 injured in addition to those killed. On Friday morning several thousand protesters milled around Independence Square, known as the Maidan, with no visible police forces remaining on the square. Volunteers walked freely to the protest camps to donate food and other aid.

Support for the president appeared to be weakening, as reports said the army's deputy chief of staff, Yury Dumansky, was resigning in "disagreement with the politics of pulling the armed forces into an internal civil conflict."

Yanukovich was expected to "make concessions in order to restore peace," Interfax Ukraine news agency quoted his spokeswoman Anna German as saying.

Late on Thursday, the Ukrainian parliament passed a measure prohibiting an “anti-terrorist operation” threatened by Yanukovich to restore order and calling for all Interior Ministry troops to return to their bases.

But it was unclear how binding the move would be, as the mechanism for carrying it out would have to be developed by the president's office and the Interior Ministry.

"We haven't achieved anything yet — neither Europe nor freedom nor new leadership. We will stop our fight only after Yanukovich resigns. He has blood on his hands," protester Stepan Rodich told The Associated Press from Maidan.

In a related move on Friday, Ukraine's parliament voted to allow the release of imprisoned opposition figure and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was jailed in 2011 on controversial abuse of power charges.

 Breotan wrote:
I don't know how awe inspiring the threat of U.S. sanctions is, given we have next to no trade with the Ukraine and how little regional influence we have anymore.

Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Ukraine's President appeared to be gone from the capital Saturday. His living quarters were emptied out; in parliament a rival pushed for his immediate resignation, and responsibility for his office was handed off to an old rival.

Change appears to be gripping the country swiftly.

At the presidential residence in a Kiev suburb, groundskeepers and gate personnel kept watch over living quarters that were emptied out.

Gone were the Ukrainian President's guards. And there were reports that the Viktor Yanukovych has left town, after he signed a landmark peace deal with his opposition.

His residence, government buildings, protest gatherings, the central city were devoid of police and of security forces that had opened fire on protesters this week, dropping many dozens of them to the ground.

As a CNN crew drove to Yanukovych's residence, it passed checkpoints set up by protesters.

When they arrived, the gatekeepers told CNN that they were not allowing the general public onto the grounds, but they let journalists enter. The civil servants asked that the reporters treat his home as a crime scene.

Both of the President's two living quarter buildings were empty, the crew saw, as it inspected the grounds.

When the civil servants spoke of the home, they referred to it as being the "people's residence" once more.

Yanukovych left for Ukraine's second's largest city of Kharkiv for a meeting after Friday's peace agreement, said a senior U.S. State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official had been on the phone with Ukraine's foreign minister.
That's "not unusual," the official said.

Yanukovych has strong support in the East, where many ethnic Russians live. The raging opposition he faces was triggered by his loyalty to Russia and a decision in November to turn away from a deal with the European Union.

In many parts of Ukraine, people have toppled statues of former Russian communist leader Vladimir Lenin, a founder of the Soviet Union. The communist empire had included Ukraine, and the country gained independence, after the USSR fell.

In the Rada, Ukraine's parliament, one of Yanukovych's chief opponents took the podium to push him out of office as soon as possible and steamroll change.

The Rada passed a resolution to free Yulia Tymoshenko, the jailed former Prime Minister and a hero of the country's 2004 revolution. It isn't clear whether the move is legally binding.

Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko urged lawmakers to enact a resolution calling for the President to immediately resign and calling for early presidential elections to be held by May 25.

Key Yanukovych allies left office, and the presidential duties were handed off, until a new Cabinet is selected.

During the session, resignations were announced for the speaker of parliament and another leading presidential ally.

Hours later, parliament elected a new speaker, one of Yanukovych's stark rivals, and gave him the duty of coordinating the executive office until a new Cabinet is in place.

Another opposition parliamentarian received the duties of acting Interior Minister.

The Rada sacked Yanukovych's Prosecutor General.

Friday's deal
In Ukraine, neither protesters, opposition politicians nor the embattled President had gotten all of what they wanted from the deal after a week of bloodshed.

Enthusiasm was muted for the peace deal brokered among them a day before by the foreign ministers of Poland, Germany and France.

Hours before they signed the deal, Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski warned them not to expect perfection.

"All sides need to remember that compromise means getting less than 100%," he said in a message on Twitter.

The deal takes away many of Yanukovych's powers soon -- and his office completely, before the year is up. That wasn't soon enough for some.

Protesters who occupied Kiev's Maidan, or Independence Square, for months and watched many dozens of fellow demonstrators die this week had wanted him out of office.

If the President has fled, that wish may have already been fulfilled.

And on Friday, the Rada, rolled up its sleeves to accelerate the implement the agreement.

First, they tackled the section designed to limit the President's power and roll back the Constitution to what it had been in 2004.

The deal also requires presidential elections "as soon as the new Constitution is adopted but no later than December 2014."

They also called for an investigation into this week's violence and handed police, per the agreement, more restrictions on the use of force. Over the weekend, protesters are also to turn in their illegal weapons and withdraw from streets and public buildings.

Early Saturday, a large crowd gathered in the square for funeral ceremonies.

The night before, after the deal was announced, demonstrators held a procession to remember their dead that night. Pallbearers carried coffins over the heads of a throng of people holding up lights in their honor.

Pavel, a demonstrator who identified himself only by his first name, said he'd helped carry away people with bullet wounds Thursday, when protesters died en masse after shots rang out.

Pavel said on Friday that he won't forget his fallen compatriots, nor will he give up the fight.

"As long as (Yanukovych) is president," he said, "the movement will continue."

But other protesters showed some support for the deal. Its announcement before the crowd at Independence Square on Friday drew some cheers.

And when Klitschko, who has acted a spokesman for the movement, took the stage Friday, he got a notably frostier reception.

He contended that the government was trying to divide the protesters with the deal.

He walked off to a handful of jeers.

The wave of unrest began in November, when Yanukovych scrapped a European Union trade deal and turned toward Russia.

The country is ethnically split, with many ethnic Russians living in the East. The rest of the country comprises mostly ethnic Ukrainians.

Russia, which has offered to lend money to cash-strapped Ukraine in a deal worth billions of dollars and to lower its gas prices, has put pressure on Yanukovych to crack down on demonstrators.

Western leaders, who have offered Ukraine a more long-term aid package requiring economic modernization, urged the President to show restraint, open up the government to the opposition and let the democratic process work out deep-seated political differences.

But the fight was also about corruption and control. The opposition called Yanukovych heavy-handed, with Klitschko and others saying protesters wouldn't leave Maidan until he resigned.

Tensions boiled over Tuesday, when security forces charged into a Kiev crowd with stun grenades, nightsticks and armored personnel carriers. At least 26 people -- protesters and police alike -- were killed.

Late Wednesday, the government announced a truce.

But on Thursday, protesters pursued police as they withdrew. Security forces fired back, sending dozens of protesters tumbling to the ground.

Then came the landmark agreement Friday.

 d-usa wrote:
I think I read that the police there is now sided with the protesters.

 d-usa wrote:
And it appears that Yanukovych has officially resigned?

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

 d-usa wrote:
And it appears that Yanukovych has officially resigned?

That would be an interesting development. Perhaps fearing the result of an increased crackdown if he later lost power he thought it best to leave to somewhere more sympathetic

 d-usa wrote:
And it appears that Yanukovych has officially resigned?

Twitter rumors and people celebrating in front of the parliament, but no official confirmation yet...

 Kilkrazy wrote:
I think he will be lucky to avoid a Ceaucescu style resolution of the crisis.

Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Embattled Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych insisted in an interview aired on Ukrainian TV Saturday that he is not resigning and not leaving the country.

Around the same time, an opposition leader and former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, was freed from prison.

Ukraine's Parliament voted unanimously to remove Yanukovych from office. It's not clear if this is binding.

The Parliament also voted to hold new elections on May 25, a key opposition demand.

Yanukovych recorded his defiant statement in Kharkiv, a pro-Russian stronghold in the eastern part of Ukraine.

He said he would continue to work to stop the bloodshed and prevent further division within the country.

Parliament votes to remove president Police join protesters after deadly riot

It came after his absence from the capital, Kiev -- a day after he signed a landmark peace deal with the opposition to end days of bloody protests -- fueled speculation he might heed opposition calls for him to stand down.

At the presidential residence in a Kiev suburb, groundskeepers and gate personnel kept watch over living quarters that were vacant.

Gone were the Ukrainian President's guards. And opposition leader Vitali Klitschko said Yanukovych had left town, a day after European Union leaders helped broker the peace agreement.

"Unfortunately, President Yanukovych who did not hear the people has withdrawn from his constitutional duties himself. And today he has already left the capital. Millions of citizens see only one option in the current situation -- it is calling the early presidential election," Klitschko said Saturday.

The President's residence, government buildings, protest gatherings and the central city were devoid of police and of security forces that had opened fire on protesters this week, dropping many dozens of them to the ground.

'People's residence'

As a CNN crew drove to Yanukovych's residence, it passed checkpoints set up by protesters.

Ukraine tarnishes Putin's Olympic moment

When the crew arrived, the gatekeepers said they were not allowing the general public onto the grounds, but they let journalists enter. The civil servants asked that the reporters treat his home as a crime scene.

Both of the President's two living quarter buildings were empty, the crew saw, as it inspected the grounds.

When the civil servants spoke of the home, they referred to it as being the "people's residence" once more.

A senior U.S. State Department official said Yanukovych had left Kiev for Ukraine's second's largest city of Kharkiv for a meeting after Friday's peace agreement. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, had been on the phone with Ukraine's foreign minister.

That's "not unusual," the official said.

Yanukovych has strong support in the East, where many ethnic Russians live. The raging opposition he faces was triggered by his loyalty to Russia and a decision in November to turn away from a deal with the European Union.

In many parts of Ukraine, people have toppled statues of former Russian communist leader Vladimir Lenin, a founder of the Soviet Union. The communist empire had included Ukraine, and the country gained independence after the USSR fell.

Resignation push

In the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, one of Yanukovych's chief opponents took the podium to call for him to be pushed from office as soon as possible and steamroll change.

The Verkhovna Rada passed a resolution to free Tymoshenko, the jailed former Prime Minister and a hero of the country's 2004 revolution.

Tymoshenko was released on Saturday, said a spokeswoman for her political party.

The case against her was widely considered in the West to have been politically motivated.

Klitschko, of the opposition UDAR party, urged lawmakers to enact a resolution urging the President immediately to resign and calling for early presidential elections to be held by May 25.

Key Yanukovych allies left office, and the presidential duties were handed off, until a new Cabinet is selected.

During the session, resignations were announced for the speaker of parliament and another leading presidential ally.

Hours later, parliament elected a new speaker, one of Yanukovych's most determined rivals, and gave him the duty of coordinating the executive office until a new Cabinet is in place.

Another opposition parliamentarian received the duties of acting Interior Minister.

The Verkhovna Rada sacked Yanukovych's prosecutor general.

Friday's deal

In Ukraine, neither protesters, opposition politicians nor the embattled President had gotten all of what they wanted from the deal after a week of bloodshed.

Enthusiasm was muted for the peace deal brokered among them a day before by the foreign ministers of Poland, Germany and France.

Hours before they signed the deal, Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski warned them not to expect perfection.

"All sides need to remember that compromise means getting less than 100%," he said in a message on Twitter.

The deal takes away many of Yanukovych's powers soon -- and his office completely, before the year is up. That wasn't soon enough for some.

Protesters who occupied Kiev's Maidan, or Independence Square, for months and watched many dozens of fellow demonstrators die this week had wanted him out of office.

If the President has fled, that wish may have already been fulfilled.

And on Friday, the Rada, rolled up its sleeves to implement the agreement.

First, they tackled the section designed to limit the President's power and roll back the Constitution to what it had been in 2004.

The deal also requires presidential elections "as soon as the new Constitution is adopted but no later than December 2014."

They also called for an investigation into this week's violence and handed police, per the agreement, more restrictions on the use of force. Over the weekend, protesters are also to turn in their illegal weapons and withdraw from streets and public buildings.

Grief, anger
Early Saturday, a large crowd gathered in the square for funeral ceremonies.

The night before, after the deal was announced, demonstrators held a procession to remember their dead that night. Pallbearers carried coffins over the heads of a throng of people holding up lights in their honor.

Pavel, a demonstrator who identified himself only by his first name, said he'd helped carry away people with bullet wounds Thursday, when protesters died en masse after shots rang out.

Pavel said on Friday that he won't forget his fallen compatriots, nor will he give up the fight.

"As long as (Yanukovych) is president," he said, "the movement will continue."

But other protesters showed some support for the deal. Its announcement before the crowd at Independence Square on Friday drew some cheers.

And when Klitschko, who has acted a spokesman for the movement, took the stage Friday, he got a notably frostier reception.

He contended that the government was trying to divide the protesters with the deal.

He walked off to a handful of jeers.

Discord's roots
The wave of unrest began in November, when Yanukovych scrapped a European Union trade deal and turned toward Russia.

The country is ethnically split, with many ethnic Russians living in the East. The rest of the country comprises mostly ethnic Ukrainians.

Russia, which has offered to lend money to cash-strapped Ukraine in a deal worth billions of dollars and to lower its gas prices, has put pressure on Yanukovych to crack down on demonstrators.

Western leaders, who have offered Ukraine a more long-term aid package requiring economic modernization, urged the President to show restraint, open up the government to the opposition and let the democratic process work out deep-seated political differences.

But the fight was also about corruption and control. The opposition called Yanukovych heavy-handed, with Klitschko and others saying protesters wouldn't leave Maidan until he resigned.

Tensions boiled over Tuesday, when security forces charged into a Kiev crowd with stun grenades, nightsticks and armored personnel carriers. At least 26 people -- protesters and police alike -- were killed.

Late Wednesday, the government announced a truce.

But on Thursday, protesters pursued police as they withdrew. Security forces fired back, sending dozens of protesters tumbling to the ground.

Then came the landmark agreement Friday.

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:
Or maybe not

 LordofHats wrote:
For the most part we can reliably expect the winner of a US election to be the person who actually won via votes

Oleg Boldyrev wrote:Ukraine crisis: Opposition asserts authority in Kiev

Ukraine's opposition has asserted its authority over Kiev and parliament in a day of fast-paced events.

MPs have replace the parliamentary speaker and attorney general, appointed a new pro-opposition interior minister and voted to free jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

Police appear to have abandoned their posts across the capital.

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

President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders signed a peace deal on Friday after several days of violence in which dozens of people died in a police crackdown on months of protest.

But the deal failed to end the protests and huge crowds remain in Independence Square, the Maidan.

The opposition have called for elections before 25 May, earlier than envisaged in Friday's peace deal.

The president's whereabouts are unclear - his aides say he is in Kharkhiv, close to the border with Russia.

Presidential aide Hanna Herman said he was due to give a televised address later.

A gathering of deputies from the south-east and Crimea - traditionally Russian-leaning areas - is taking place there, but Ms Herman said the president had "no intention" of attending, nor of leaving the country.

An opposition figure has announced to the protest crowds in Independence Square that the president has resigned. This has not been confirmed, but the crowds reacted with huge cheers.

'Rapid change'

Ms Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 for abuse of power. Her supporters had always maintained this was simply Mr Yanukovych taking out his most prominent opponent, and her release has always been a key demand of the protest movement.

She is expected to be released in Kharkiv later on Saturday.

Her daughter, Yevheniya Tymoshenko, said she was thankful "to all Ukrainians, the democratic world, and the lawmakers who have just released her".


The parliament building was guarded by protesters on Saturday morning


One group of protesters has been driving around Independence Square in a military vehicle


Protesters and journalists walked uncontested into the grounds of the official president's residence north of the capital

"We must go there now very quickly to ensure that nothing happens to her and to free her together," she said.

On Saturday morning as parliament met, speaker Volodymyr Rybak resigned, citing ill health. He has been replaced by Oleksandr Turchynov, an ally of Ms Tymoshenko.

Another Tymoshenko ally, Arsen Avakov, has been appointed interim interior minister. He replaces Vitaly Zakharchenko, who was sacked on Friday after being blamed for the deaths of civilians in last week's crackdown on protests.

Vitaly Klitschko, leader of the opposition Udar party, repeated his demand for the president's immediate resignation.

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

On Thursday, in the worst violence since the unrest began, police opened fire on protesters who were occupying Independence Square in central Kiev. The health ministry says 77 people - both protesters and police - have been killed since Tuesday.

For a second day, funerals are being held in the square.

The BBC's Kevin Bishop in Kiev says journalists and protesters were able to enter freely the previously heavily guarded presidential complex.

The protesters have not entered the offices themselves. They said they were protecting the buildings from looting and vandalism.

"He's not here, none of his officials or anyone linked directly to the administration are here," said Ostap Kryvdyk, a protest leader, referring to the president.

Correspondents say police appear to have abandoned posts across the city, while the numbers gathered in the Maidan are growing.

Hundreds of people have also entered the grounds of the president's official residence, the Mezhyhirya, about 15km (10 miles) north of the city centre.

In a statement, the interior ministry said the police force was "at the service of the people and completely shares its aspirations for rapid changes".

"We pay homage to the dead," it added.

Leaders booed

The political pact was signed on Friday by President Yanukovych and opposition leaders after mediation by EU foreign ministers, and approved by Ukraine's parliament.

It restores the 2004 constitution - reducing the powers of the presidency - and says a unity government will be formed and elections held by the end of the year.

All but one of the 387 MPs present voted in favour, including dozens of MPs from Mr Yanukovych's own Party of Regions.

The deal has been met with scepticism by some of the thousands of protesters who remain in the square. Opposition leaders who signed it were booed and called traitors.

The US and Russian presidents have agreed that the deal needs to be swiftly implemented, officials say.

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

 djones520 wrote:
That administration is going down. A matter of days now at the most. Russia is about to have a new refugee. He can shack up with the two Kyrgyz ex-presidents who have been chased from their country.

 BaronIveagh wrote:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26320004#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Well, the arrest warrants have been issued.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said he doubts the legitimacy of Ukraine's new authorities.

In the strongest Russian reaction yet to the political upheaval in Kiev, Mr Medvedev said those now in power had conducted an "armed mutiny".

He was speaking after Ukraine's interim interior minister said an arrest warrant had been issued for fugitive ousted President Viktor Yanukovych.

MPs voted to remove Mr Yanukovych on Saturday.

Russia, angered at the loss of its political ally, has already recalled its ambassador for consultation.

Unrest in Ukraine began in late November when Mr Yanukovych rejected a landmark association and trade deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia.

Meanwhile, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton has arrived in Kiev to discuss financial and political support for Ukraine's new leaders.

Ukraine is in danger of defaulting on its debts as a Russian aid package now seems unlikely to proceed.

Baroness Ashton began her visit by laying flowers in Independence Square to those killed in clashes between protesters and police.

Mr Medvedev, quoted by Russian news agencies, suggested that Western countries that accepted Ukraine's new authorities were mistaken.

"Strictly speaking, there is no-one for us to communicate with there today," he said.

"The legitimacy of a whole number of organs of power that function there raises great doubts.

"Some of our foreign, Western partners think otherwise. This is some kind of aberration of perception when people call legitimate what is essentially the result of an armed mutiny."

He added: "We do not understand what is going on there. There is a real threat to our interests and to the lives of our citizens."

Ukraine's foreign ministry quickly responded to Mr Medvedev's concerns for Russian citizens in Ukraine, saying they were "unfounded".

However, Russia's foreign ministry also issued a strongly worded statement saying a "forced change of power" was taking place in Ukraine and that interim authorities were using "terrorist methods" to pressure dissenters in regions including Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

It also criticised Western support for a snap presidential election in May and said constitutional reforms rushed through parliament should be put to a national referendum.

Ukraine's parliament has until Tuesday to form a new unity government.

Interim interior minister Arsen Avakov said on Facebook that a criminal case had been opened against Mr Yanukovych and other officials over "mass murder of peaceful citizens".

The statement said Mr Yanukovych was last seen in Balaklava on the Crimean peninsula on Sunday.

It said that after dismissing most of his security detail, he had left by car for an unknown destination, accompanied by an aide.

The statement did not name the other figures covered by the warrant.

According to media reports, Mr Avakov and Valentyn Nalyvaychenko - appointed by parliament to oversee security matters - have travelled to Crimea to defuse tensions.

The peninsula is an autonomous region where the majority of the population is ethnically Russian.

Crimea and some pro-Russian areas in the east have seen protests against the overthrow of Mr Yanukovych, sparking fears that Ukraine could be split apart by separatist movements.

Ukraine's health ministry says 88 people, mostly anti-Yanukovych protesters but also police, are now known to have been killed in last week's clashes.

Thousands of people remain in Kiev's Independence Square, the Maidan.
Correspondents say the atmosphere in the square is now largely calm, and it has become a shrine to those killed.

Interim Finance Minister Yuriy Kolobov has said Ukraine needs around $35bn (£21bn) in urgent foreign aid and asked for an international donors' conference to be held.

Moscow recently agreed to provide $15bn for Ukraine's struggling economy - a move seen as a reward for Mr Yanukovych's controversial decision not to sign the long-planned trade deal with the EU.

But there are fears Moscow could withdraw that offer. Ukraine has state debts of some $73bn, with around $6bn to be paid this year.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Apparently the EU is prepared to step in with financial help.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Apparently the EU is prepared to step in with financial help.

 curran12 wrote:
This seems a good place to slip this in, photos of the former president's private home:

http://thechive.com/2014/02/24/a-look-inside-the-recently-vacated-luxury-home-of-ukraine-president-viktor-yanukovych-40-photos/

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Apparently the EU is prepared to step in with financial help.

Separately, documents published on Ukraine's Glavkom website apparently show that the armed forces' general staff head, Yuriy Ilyin, had planned to deploy 2,500 soldiers to clear the Maidan.

Ukraine's new acting government is not legitimate, Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev has said. "If people crossing Kiev in black masks and Kalashnikov rifles are considered a government, it will be difficult for us to work with such a government," the prime minister said.

"Some of our foreign, western partners think otherwise, considering them to be legitimate authorities. I do not know which constitution, which laws, they were reading, but it seems to me it is an aberration of perception when something that is essentially the result of a mutiny is called legitimate."

He also called the legitimacy of many of Ukraine's governing bodies "doubtful", adding: "There is no one to deal with there [in Ukraine]; masked and armed people are no partners for dialogue."

The Russian PM said he did not understand what was happening in Ukraine. "There is a real threat to our interests and to the lives of our citizens," he said. "There are big doubts about the legitimacy of a whole series of organs of power that are now functioning there."

But Medvedev also said any legally-binding Russian-Ukrainian agreements "must be honoured". There are fears about the future of a gas deal agreed in December under which Russia reduced the gas price for Kiev to $268.50 per 1,000 cubic metres, from the $400 which Ukraine had paid since 2009.

"Those agreements which are legally binding must be honoured," Medvedev said. "We are not cooperating with personalities or isolated individuals. These are inter-state relations. We are neighbours, close nations, and we cannot run away from one another. Whatever has been signed must be honoured. For us, Ukraine remains a serious and important partner."

Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, has yet to comment on the events that swept Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych out of power on Saturday.

The hunt is now on for Yanukovych, who is currently believed to be hiding in the pro-Russian Crimean peninsula. The country's new acting government has issued a warrant for his arrest, accusing him of the mass murder of protesters who died in street clashes last week.

Ukraine's acting interior minister, Arsen Avakhov, said on his official Facebook page on Monday that a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Yanukovych and several other officials for the "mass killing of civilians". At least 82 people, primarily protesters, were killed in clashes in the capital, Kiev, last week.

After signing an agreement with the opposition, Yanukovych fled the capital for eastern Ukraine. Avakhov said he tried to fly out of Donetsk but was stopped, then went to Crimea. Yanukovych appeared in a video address on Saturday evening claiming he was still the president, but he has lost the support of most of his party and his main goal now will probably be to flee the country without being arrested.

Avakhov said Yanukovych arrived in Crimea on Sunday, relinquished his official security detail and then drove off to an unknown location. There were rumours that a yacht named the Bandido, believed to belong to Yanukovych's son, was spotted in the harbour in the Crimean port of Balaclava.

In Balaclava on Monday there was no sign of either the yacht or the president, and locals claimed they had not seen Yanukovych in recent days. Officials in Sevastopol also professed ignorance. In Kiev, western diplomats said they had no idea of the president's location.

Calls are mounting in Ukraine to put Yanukovych on trial after a tumultuous presidency in which he amassed powers, enriched his allies and cracked down on demonstrators. Anger boiled over last week after snipers attacked protesters in the bloodiest violence in Ukraine's post-Soviet history.

The turmoil has raised fears that the country, with a population of 46 million, could split apart. The economy is on the brink of default and loyalties are torn between Europe and Russia.

Tensions have been mounting in Crimea, where pro-Russian protesters raised a Russian flag on a city hall in one town and scuffled with police. Russia maintains a big naval base in Sevastopol that has complicated relations between the countries for two decades.

The protests were sparked in November when Yanukovych shelved an agreement with the EU and turned towards Russia. The movement quickly expanded its grievances to alleged corruption and human rights abuses, and called for Yanukovych's resignation.

"We must find Yanukovych and put him on trial," said Leonid Shovtak, a 50-year-old farmer from the western Ivano-Frankivsk region who came to Kiev's Independence Square to take part in the three-month protest movement. "All the criminals with him should be in prison."

The parliamentary speaker assumed the president's powers on Sunday, even though a presidential aide told the Associated Press on Sunday that Yanukovych planned to stay in power.

The speaker, Oleksandr Turchinov, said top priorities included saving the economy and "returning to the path of European integration", according to news agencies. The latter phrase is certain to displease Moscow, which wants Ukraine to be part of a customs union that would rival the EU and bolster Russia's influence. Russia granted Ukraine a $15bn (£9bn) bailout after Yanukovych backed away from the EU deal.

The US ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt said America was ready to help Ukraine get aid from the International Monetary Fund. The EU is reviving efforts to strike a deal with Ukraine that could involve billions of euros in economic perks. The EU foreign policy chief, Lady Ashton, is visiting Kiev on Monday and Tuesday.

The protest movement has been in large part a fight for the country's economic future – for better jobs and prosperity. Ukraine has struggled with corruption, bad government and short-sighted reliance on cheap gas from Russia. Political unrest has worsened the deficit and caused volatile exchange rates, and may have pushed the economy back into a recession.

Per capita economic output is only around $7,300, even adjusted for the lower cost of living, compared with $22,200 in Poland and around $51,700 in the US. Ukraine ranks 137th in the world for output, behind El Salvador, Namibia, and Guyana.

As a new regime consolidated its grip over power in Kiev on Sunday, calls for secession in the pro-Russian south of Ukraine were growing louder.

At a protest attended by thousands in the port city of Sevastopol on Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, the crowd voted to establish a parallel administration and civil defence squads.

Demonstrators waved Russian flags – there was not a Ukrainian flag to be seen – and chanted "Russia, Russia, Russia" during the gathering.

"Sevastopol is a Russian town and will always be a Russian town… we will never surrender to those fascists in Kiev," said Anatoly, who was handing out Russian flags and declined to give his surname. "The struggle is only just beginning."

The largely Russian-speaking eastern and southern regions of Ukraine have been shaken by events in the Ukrainian capital over the last week that have led to the toppling of President Viktor Yanukovych.

Nowhere in the country is a Russian heritage stronger than in Crimea. The peninsula was officially a part of Russia until 60 years ago when the Soviet leadership transferred it to Ukraine.

Even today the Kremlin retains significant influence in the popular holiday destination for wealthy Russians, and Moscow leases naval bases in Sevastopol for its Black Sea fleet.

"We are not like the Kievans, we will not give up," said Olga, a pensioner in the crowd on Sunday.

"We hoped there wouldn't be a split in the country, but if a fully Bandera regime emerges in Kiev then we will be a part of Russia," she added, using a controversial term for the opposition from the name of a nationalist leader who fought against both the Nazis and the Soviets during the Second World War.

Amid fears that the new leadership in Kiev will soon fire the local government, demonstrators elected a new city leader, Aleksei Chaly, who vowed to defend Sevastopol.

Protesters also voted to set-up self-defence squads – a fledgling militia that would mirror those established in pro-European Western Ukraine last week after Yanukovych's authority crumbled and locals ransacked police stations.

Speakers said that in a similar demonstration earlier in the day in the regional capital of Simferopol about 5,000 had joined such squads.

The response was likely to be much greater in Sevastopol where up to 200,000 people could be counted on, said Dmitry Sinichkin, president of the local branch of the Night Wolves motorbike group.

"Bloodshed is inevitable," added Sinichkin, who was dressed in black leather. The Night Wolves enjoy the patronage of Russian President Vladimir Putin and its leadership has close ties to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Speakers at the protest avoided direct calls for Russian intervention, but when the head of the city's administration said that the secession of Crimea could not be permitted he was booed from the stage.

Russian officials refrain from publicly stating their support for Crimean separatism, but Kremlin aide Sergei Glazyev described Ukraine last month as "schizophrenic" and said that Russia would support greater federalism.

In recent weeks local media have carried stories about intensive contact with Russian officials and Vladislav Surkov, the Kremlin's so-called "grey cardinal," was reportedly spotted in Crimea last week.

"Russia does not openly take part in encouraging separatism… but there are organisations which are financed through Kremlin structures," said Viktor Neganov, a local supporter of the uprising in Kiev who has just been appointed an adviser to the country's new interior minister.

Neganov suffered concussion and a bloody nose on Saturday when he was beaten by people greeting riot police returning from Kiev to Sevastopol in the wake of the fall of the Yanukovych government.

While Ukraine's riot police, or Berkut, are widely reviled by the opposition whose activists have battled them on the streets of Kiev for months, they were treated to a hero's welcome in Sevastopol, given flowers and embraced by locals.

There have been pushes for Crimean separatism several times since the fall of the Soviet Union, including during Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution, but analysts said that more was now at stake.

"It's easy to imagine Crimea calling a referendum and getting special status within the Ukraine," said Masha Lipman, an expert at the Carnegie Centre in Moscow. "The natural next step would be to secede."

There was little sympathy in Sevastopol for Yanukovych, who has fled Kiev and been denounced by many of his closest followers. His current whereabouts is unknown.

"I don't support Yanukovych because he has betrayed Ukraine," said Dmitry Kovalenko, 23, a student. "We need to unite with Russia."

 whembly wrote:
Oh my... reportedly the Ukrainians are thinking about amending their constitution to "the rights to bear arms", ala the US' 2nd amendment.

 Da Boss wrote:
Surely they'd call theirs the NRA as well?

Today every citizen of Ukraine understands why our country has hundreds of thousands of policemen. Last illusions were crushed when riot police used rubber batons and boots at the Independence Square on peaceful citizens.

After such actions we realize that it is not enough to only adopt the Gun Law.

As of today Ukrainian Gun Owners Association will start to work on the preparation of amendments to the Constitution, which will provide an unconditional right for Ukrainian citizens to bear arms.
People should have the right to bear arms, which will be put in written into the Constitution.

Authorities should not and will not be stronger than its people!

Armed people are treated with respect!

 whembly wrote:
They put out a press release:
http://zbroya.info/en/blog/2650_ukrainian-gun-owners-associations-official-statement/

Today every citizen of Ukraine understands why our country has hundreds of thousands of policemen. Last illusions were crushed when riot police used rubber batons and boots at the Independence Square on peaceful citizens.

After such actions we realize that it is not enough to only adopt the Gun Law.

As of today Ukrainian Gun Owners Association will start to work on the preparation of amendments to the Constitution, which will provide an unconditional right for Ukrainian citizens to bear arms.
People should have the right to bear arms, which will be put in written into the Constitution.

Authorities should not and will not be stronger than its people!

Armed people are treated with respect!

Separately, documents published on Ukraine's Glavkom website apparently show that the armed forces' general staff head, Yuriy Ilyin, had planned to deploy 2,500 soldiers to clear the Maidan.

 whembly wrote:

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Apparently the EU is prepared to step in with financial help.

That's interesting...

Also... what seems to be the most important thing to Russia seems to be the Crimea -- which is a warm-water port on the Black Sea. That's kinda strategic.

 whembly wrote:
I also think it's likely thats a reaction to all those sniper kills during the protest:

 Palindrome wrote:

 whembly wrote:
I also think it's likely thats a reaction to all those sniper kills during the protest:

So in other words it would increase the death toll from around to 100 to thousands. Great idea.

 whembly wrote:
Oh my... reportedly the Ukrainians are thinking about amending their constitution to "the rights to bear arms", ala the US' 2nd amendment.

Russia flexes military muscle as tensions rise in Ukraine's Crimea region

Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Russia ordered surprise military exercises on Ukraine's doorstep Wednesday as tensions in that country's southern Crimea region simmered, with pro-Russian demonstrators facing off against rival protesters in the city of Simferopol.

As the mood soured among the thousands rallying in front of the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol, some scuffles broke out.

One group waved Ukrainian flags and shouted "Crimea is not Russia," while the other held Russian flags aloft and shouted "Crimea is Russia," images broadcast by Crimean TV channel ATR showed. As the crowd became more agitated, a line of police moved in to divide the groups.

Local leaders sought to calm the mood, urging the protesters to go home and resist provocations.

One man died around the time of the protests in front of parliament, the Crimean Ministry of Health said on its website. The man had no visible signs of injury, and early indications point to a heart attack, it said. Seven people sought medical help.

The demonstrations signal the broad divide between those who support what is going on in Kiev, where the new government is leaning toward the West, and those who back Russia's continued influence in Crimea and across Ukraine.

In the capital Thursday, the names of nominees for the country's new unity government were read to the crowd in Independence Square. Opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk was named as a nominee for interim prime minister. Candidates are expected to be voted on in parliament Thursday.

Russia's foreign minister has vowed not to intervene militarily in Ukraine.

But with tensions in the region high, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered surprise military exercises.

The exercises are "to check combat readiness of armed forces in western and central military districts as well as several branches of the armed forces," Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu was quoted as saying by state media.

Shoigu did not mention Ukraine, which lies to Russia's west, but the timing of the move has prompted speculation about the motivation.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense declined to comment on the exercises since they are on Russian territory.

U.S. military intelligence has seen some Russian naval ship movement near Ukraine since the weekend, but it sees no immediate indication the Russians are preparing for any offensive military action in Ukraine, two U.S. officials said.

Russia held at least six snap combat readiness checks of its armed forces last year, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency said.

'Rumors' fuel fears of split
Concerns were heightened in the Crimea region when the Crimean parliament convened a previously unscheduled session Wednesday, amid local media reports that secession might be on the agenda.

But the parliament speaker, Volodimir Konstantinov, denied there were plans to discuss "radical issues" such as the separation of Russia-oriented Crimea from Ukraine.

In a statement on the parliament website, he dismissed the local media reports as "rumors," saying they were "a provocation aimed at discrediting and de-legitimizing the Crimean parliament."

He also urged the Crimean people to remain calm and not be provoked, the statement said.

In the nearby port city of Sevastopol, where about 60% of the population is Russian and Moscow has a key naval base, residents told CNN they were angry that President Viktor Yanukovych has been forced out and fear that they will be oppressed by the country's new leaders.

Small pro-Russian protests were taking place in the Black Sea city Wednesday.

A CNN team in the area encountered more than one pro-Russian militia checkpoint on the road from Sevastopol to Simferopol.

Yanukovych's base of support is in eastern and southern Ukraine, where Russian culture and language predominate. In that region, most people are suspicious of the Europe-leaning views of their counterparts in western Ukraine, who were at the heart of the anti-government protests that filled central Kiev.

Many are struggling to get to grips with the rapid political upheaval that has unfolded in Ukraine in recent days, after months of protests and last week's bloody clashes between protesters and security forces.

Russia's Foreign Ministry has accused Ukraine's lawmakers of discriminating against ethnic Russians by excluding them from the reform process.

Talks on new government
The tensions come as Ukraine's lawmakers scramble to put together a new unity government amid continued instability after Yanukovych's ouster.

Vasil Gatsko, of the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms (UDAR) party, said the newly formed government will be officially voted in in Ukraine's parliament Thursday morning. The interim authorities had initially hoped to announce a new government Tuesday.

The names of the nominees for the new administration were read in Kiev's Independence Square, or Maidan -- which has been at the heart of the protest movement -- for approval from the crowds gathered there. The nominees were selected in a meeting Wednesday of the three main opposition parties and smaller parties.

The lawmakers face the challenge of forming a body that genuinely represents of all the main political parties, despite their widely divergent views, and includes technical experts and some of the people's heroes from the protests in Independence Square.

Presidential and local elections are due to be held on May 25.

One candidate has already been announced. Opposition leader and former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, of the UDAR party, will run for the presidency, his press secretary Oksana Zinovyeva said.

Earlier Wednesday, acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced that a riot police force used against anti-government protesters in Ukraine had been disbanded.

Demonstrators accused the elite Berkut force, deployed by the government of Yanukovych to quell recent protests, of using excessive force.

Avakov said on his Facebook page that he'd signed the order disbanding the force Tuesday.

But the new, pro-Russian mayor of Sevastopol said Tuesday night at a rally in the city that he had secured funding to keep paying Berkut riot police there even after the force was disbanded.

The mayor, Alexej Chaliy, was elected in an unofficial local vote, but the interim authorities in Kiev have said he is not a legitimate leader.

Last week, the bloody street clashes between demonstrators and security forces left more than 80 dead, the deadliest violence in the country since it gained independence when the Soviet Union collapsed 22 years ago.

Russia, which backed Yanukovych, contends that the President was driven out by an "armed mutiny" of extremists and terrorists. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, but his whereabouts remain unknown.

Diplomatic moves

While Yanukovych is on the run, the diplomatic wheels have been set in motion within the international community.

One key concern is Ukraine's perilous financial position.

Interim Finance Minister Yury Kolobov proposed Monday that an international donor conference be held within two weeks. Ukraine, he said, will need $35 billion in foreign assistance by the end of 2015.

Russia had offered Ukraine a $15 billion loan and cut in natural gas prices in November, but that deal seems unlikely to remain on the table if Ukraine turns toward Europe.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague tweeted Wednesday: "Will discuss international financial support for #Ukraine at the IMF in Washington DC today."

Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform said the country has slashed its imports of natural gas from Russia in recent days.

Speaking in Washington on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said officials were "deeply engaged in trying to help this extraordinary transition that is taking place in Ukraine."

In a joint news conference with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, Kerry said that Ukraine's alliances should not necessarily determine what happens to its people -- and that it was not a "zero sum" game.

"It is not a Russia or the United States or other choices," he said. "This is about people of Ukraine and Ukrainians making their choice about their future. And we want to work with Russia, with other countries, with everybody available to make sure this is peaceful from this day forward."
Yanukovych's decision to scrap a European Union trade deal in favor of one with Russia prompted the protests, which began in November.

chaos0xomega wrote:
*Crimea
*secede

I think the Georgia/South Ossetia model is a pretty good one for what will happen there, though I suspect that Russia will stand up the Crimea as a puppet/client state rather than outright annex them as Soviet errr... I mean Russian territory.

 d-usa wrote:

It wouldn't increase anything, as the people already had all their weapons.

Armed men have seized the regional government building and parliament in Crimea, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

It said local Tatar leader Refat Chubarov had written on Facebook: "I have been told that the buildings of parliament and the council of ministers have been occupied by armed men in uniforms that do not bear any recognisable insignia.

"They have not yet made any demands."

Crimea
The parliament building has been seized in Simferopol
While it is not immediately clear who is in control of the buildings, it is reported the Russian flag is flying over both buildings.

Around 100 police officers are said to be gathered in front of the parliament building.

The doors appear to have been blocked by wooden crates.

A witness reported hearing gunfire during the night.

On Wednesday there was a confrontation between pro-Russia separatists and ethnic Tatars, who support Ukraine's new leaders, in Simferopol, where the parliament building is located.

Sky's Alex Rossi says there is an enormous amount of anxiety in Crimea over where the future of the region lies, amid signs of separatism.

It came as Russia confirmed it will take part in talks on an International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial package for Ukraine, where the economic situation continues to worsen after months of unrest.

Debt-hit Ukraine has said it needs $35bn (£21bn) over the next two years to avoid bankruptcy.

The European Commission says Russia should be included in efforts to provide financial assistance.

"All I can say is that we will take part in discussions (at the IMF), there is no talk of standing aside," said Andrei Bokarev, head of the finance ministry's international relations department.

Ukraine has also seen continuous devaluation of its currency amid the political upheaval, which led to President Viktor Yanukovych being toppled.

He is now a fugitive, wanted in connection with the deaths of around 100 people during the recent violence.

Ukraine’s sovereignty over the southern region of Crimea appeared to be under threat Wednesday, as Russian-backed fighters moved dozens of kilometres outside their base in this Black Sea port, establishing a checkpoint on the main road connecting Sevastopol to the regional capital.

President Vladimir Putin also ordered the Russian military in its central and western commands – more than 150,000 troops with hundreds of tanks and helicopter gunships – to be put on alert for war games in the areas bordering Ukraine. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu characterized the manoeuvre as a snap military drill, similar to others Mr. Putin has ordered in the past in other parts of the country.


The Globe and Mail saw at least a dozen men wearing fatigues – supported by an armoured personnel carrier – standing under a Russian flag at a checkpoint erected roughly halfway along the 80-kilometre road from Sevastopol to Simferopol, putting it close to the administrative border that separates the Sevastopol municipality from the rest of Crimea and Ukraine.

The men, some wearing balaclavas, used flashlights to look inside each vehicle approaching Sevastopol. They reportedly later told journalists they were local “volunteers.”

Earlier Wednesday, at least two armoured personnel carriers were seen manoeuvring in the centre of this port city, which has historic ties to Russia and hosts Russia’s Black Sea Fleet under an agreement between Moscow and Kiev. Mr. Shoigu said the Kremlin was “carefully watching what is happening in Crimea” and would take “measures to guarantee the safety of facilities, infrastructure and arsenals of the Black Sea fleet.”

Mr. Shoigu said the drills will last until March 3. Russia has so far refused to recognize the regime that came to power in Kiev following the violent ouster of Moscow-backed Viktor Yanukovych. Meanwhile, the West is rushing to support it, with Washington and Brussels giving vocal support – and promising money – to the protest movement that overthrew an elected government. Foreign Minister John Baird is also rushing to Kiev this week, aiming to show Canada’s solidarity with interim president Oleksander Turchynov and the prime minister-designate Arseniy Yatseniuk.

President Barack Obama warned “outside actors in the region … to end provocative rhetoric and actions.” Instead, Moscow should use its “influence in support of unity, peace and an inclusive path forward,” Josh Earnest, a White House spokesman said.

Many here in Crimea, however, say they would welcome Russian intervention. While many of the revolutionaries in Kiev are Ukrainian-speakers who want to see the country take steps towards joining the European Union, many Crimeans see themselves as Russians who were left outside the borders of their motherland when the Soviet Union fell apart.

Thousands of ethnic Russians rallied Wednesday outside the regional parliament building in Simferopol, shouting for deputies to call a referendum about seceding from Ukraine and possibly joining Russia. Deputies had been expected to introduce some kind of resolution on Wednesday regarding Crimea’s future, but they were blocked by thousands of ethnic Tatars who say they want to remain in Ukraine. Minor clashes broke out, and one person died of a heart attack, before parliament agreed to postpone any vote on secession.

“We don’t want to be with Ukraine. … Sevastopol, Kerch and Simferopol all want to join Russia,” said Darya Artyomenko, a 23-year-old law student who attended the Simferopol rally. Her voice was barely audible above chants of “Russia!” and “Referendum!” Ms. Artyomenko said she didn’t want to live in a country controlled by “fascists” from western Ukraine whom she believes are intent on eliminating the Russian language and culture.

In Brussels, North Atlantic Treaty Organization defence ministers ignored Russia’s war-games alert and called for co-operation in Ukraine’s unfolding crisis. The Western alliance, which includes Canada, said it supported “Ukrainian sovereignty and independence, territorial integrity, democratic development, and the principle of inviolability of frontiers.” NATO has invited Ukraine to join the military alliance – a move bitterly opposed by Russia.

Russian-speakers in the east and south of the country were angered that one of the first actions taken by the post-revolution parliament in Kiev was to repeal a law, adopted under the toppled Mr. Yanukovych, that allowed regions like Crimea to adopt Russian as an official second language, alongside Ukrainian.

“Nobody asked south Ukraine if we want this new government,” said Svetalana Khromova, a 36-year-old childcare worker who joined the Simferopol demonstration. “We’ve lived here for 200 years. We’ve always spoken Russian and we’ll keep speaking Russian.”

While many Russian-speakers feel threatened by the idea of living under the new government in Kiev, other ethnic groups say they have no interest in seeing Crimea join Russia.

The pro-Russian demonstration in Simferopol was countered by thousands of Crimean Tatars, who are Muslims and speak a Turkic dialect. They blocked the doors of parliament and kept the regional assembly from meeting. Mixing chants of “Glory to Ukraine!” with “God is great!” the Tatars claimed a victory Wednesday when they forced the parliament to call of its planned session.

Many of Ukraine’s 300,000 Crimean Tatars associate Russian rule with the Soviet period, which saw the entire population was deported en masse by Joseph Stalin in 1944. Many only returned to Crimea after the fall of the Soviet Union and the birth of independent Ukraine in 1991.

“We don’t expect anything good from Russia,” said 52-year-old Ibazir Ilyasov. “Ukrainian nationalists and Crimean nationalists have the same enemy: Russia.”

Ethnic Russians make up about 58 per cent of Crimea’s two million residents. Ukrainians make up 24 per cent, while Crimean Tatars are 12 per cent. In Sevastopol, ethnic Russians make up 70 per cent of the city’s population of 340,000.

RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY SAYS HAS PUT FIGHTER JETS ON COMBAT ALERT ON ITS WESTERN BORDERS - INTERFAX

(Reuters) - Armed men seized the regional government headquarters and parliament in Ukraine's Crimea on Thursday and raised the Russian flag, alarming Kiev's new rulers, who urged Moscow not to abuse its navy base rights on the peninsula by moving troops around.

"I am appealing to the military leadership of the Russian Black Sea fleet," said Olexander Turchinov, acting president since the removal of Viktor Yanukovich last week. "Any military movements, the more so if they are with weapons, beyond the boundaries of this territory (the base) will be seen by us as military aggression

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry also summoned Russia's acting envoy in Kiev for immediate consultations.

There were mixed signals from Moscow, which put fighter jets along its western borders on combat alert, but earlier said it would take part in discussions on an International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial package for Ukraine. Ukraine has said it needs $35 billion over the next two years to stave off bankruptcy.

The fear of military escalation prompted expressions of concern from the West, with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen urging Russia not to do anything that would "escalate tension or create misunderstanding".

Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski called the seizure of government buildings in the Crimea a "very dangerous game".

"This is a drastic step, and I'm warning those who did this and those who allowed them to do this, because this is how regional conflicts begin," he told a news conference.

It was not immediately known who was occupying the buildings in the regional capital Simferopol and they issued no demands, but witnesses said they spoke Russian and appeared to be ethnic Russian separatists.

Interfax news agency quoted a witness as saying there were about 60 people inside and they had many weapons. It said no one had been hurt when the buildings were seized in the early hours by Russian speakers in uniforms that did not carry identification markings.

"We were building barricades in the night to protect parliament. Then this young Russian guy came up with a pistol ... we all lay down, some more ran up, there was some shooting and around 50 went in through the window," Leonid Khazanov, an ethnic Russian, told Reuters.

"They're still there ... Then the police came, they seemed scared. I asked them (the armed men) what they wanted, and they said 'To make our own decisions, not to have Kiev telling us what to do'," said Khazanov.

About 100 police were gathered in front of the parliament building, and a similar number of people carrying Russian flags later marched up to the building chanting "Russia, Russia" and holding a sign calling for a Crimean referendum.

One of them, Alexei, 30, said: "We have our own constitution, Crimea is autonomous. The government in Kiev are fascists, and what they're doing is illegal ... We need to show our support for the guys inside (parliament). Power should be ours."

Crimea, the only Ukrainian region with an ethnic Russian majority, is the last big bastion of opposition to the new political leadership in Kiev following the ouster of Yanukovich on Saturday.

Part of Russia's Black Sea fleet is based in Crimea, in the port of Sevastopol

Ukraine's new leaders have been voicing alarm over signs of separatism there. The seizure of the building was confirmed by acting interior minister Arsen Avakov, who said the attackers had automatic weapons and machine guns.

"Provocateurs are on the march. It is the time for cool heads," he said on Facebook.

Turchinov, speaking in Kiev to parliament, which had been called to name a new government, described the attackers as "criminals in military fatigues with automatic weapons".

He also called on Moscow not to violate the terms of an agreement that gives the Russian Black Sea fleet basing rights at Sevastopol until 2042.

The regional prime minister said he had spoken to the people inside the building by telephone, but they had not made any demands or said why they were inside. They had promised to call him back but had not done so, he said.

RUSSIAN WARNINGS

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ignored calls by some ethnic Russians in Crimea to reclaim the territory handed to then Soviet Ukraine by Soviet Communist leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1954.

The United States says any Russian military action would be a grave mistake.

But Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement that Moscow would defend the rights of its compatriots and react without compromise to any violation of those rights.

It expressed concern about "large-scale human rights violations", attacks and vandalism in the former Soviet republic.

Ethnic Tatars who support Ukraine's new leaders and pro-Russia separatists had confronted each other outside the regional parliament on Wednesday.

Yanukovich was toppled after three months of unrest led by protesters in Kiev. He is now on the run and being sought by the new authorities for murder in connection with the deaths of around 100 people during the conflict.

Crimea is the only region of Ukraine where ethnic Russians are the majority, though many ethnic Ukrainians in other eastern areas speak Russian as their first language.

The Tatars, a Turkic ethnic group, were victimized by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in World War Two and deported en masse to Soviet Central Asia in 1944 on suspicion of collaborating with Nazi Germany.

Tens of thousands of them returned to their homeland after Ukraine gained independence with the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991.

 Iron_Captain wrote:

chaos0xomega wrote:
*Crimea
*secede

I think the Georgia/South Ossetia model is a pretty good one for what will happen there, though I suspect that Russia will stand up the Crimea as a puppet/client state rather than outright annex them as Soviet errr... I mean Russian territory.

Russian. Crimea is Russian territory and it has been so since 1783. Kruschev (an Ukrainian) decided in 1954 (While he was drunk) that Crimea had to be transferred from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR, but Crimea has no business at all being in the Ukraine.
Now Crimeans are forced to speak and learn Ukrainian, having their own culture repressed in favour of Ukrainian culture and have to deal with foreign Ukrainian immigrants.
Most Crimeans can't wait to be liberated. Crimea should either be a part of Russia or a independent country. It does not belong in the Ukraine, Crimeans have nothing in common with people from Lvov or Kiev.

 Allod wrote:
Depends on how you understand "support".

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

 Allod wrote:
Depends on how you understand "support".

How about "Don't need the US to step in, and that they can take care of something themselves for a change"?

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:
The only logical solution I can see is just cutting the Crimea lose to either become autonomous or get reabsorbed into Russia and let the rest of the Ukraine remain independent.

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:
The only logical solution I can see is just cutting the Crimea lose to either become autonomous or get reabsorbed into Russia and let the rest of the Ukraine remain independent.

chaos0xomega wrote:
Well things are getting interesting.

 Iron_Captain wrote:

chaos0xomega wrote:
*Crimea
*secede

I think the Georgia/South Ossetia model is a pretty good one for what will happen there, though I suspect that Russia will stand up the Crimea as a puppet/client state rather than outright annex them as Soviet errr... I mean Russian territory.

Russian. Crimea is Russian territory and it has been so since 1783. Kruschev (an Ukrainian) decided in 1954 (While he was drunk) that Crimea had to be transferred from the RSFSR to the Ukrainian SSR, but Crimea has no business at all being in the Ukraine.
Now Crimeans are forced to speak and learn Ukrainian, having their own culture repressed in favour of Ukrainian culture and have to deal with foreign Ukrainian immigrants.
Most Crimeans can't wait to be liberated. Crimea should either be a part of Russia or a independent country. It does not belong in the Ukraine, Crimeans have nothing in common with people from Lvov or Kiev.

And before that, Crimea belonged to Crimean Khanate, which was primarily composed of the Crimean Tatar ethnic group. A vast majority of that ethnic group still lives in Crimea (many of them having returned to live there after being expelled by Stalin in the 50s). Those Tatars overwhelmingly want to remain a part of Ukraine, so given that the Tatars controlled the land prior to 1783 and are thus the original inhabitants, and they would like to remain Ukrainian, it seems they should have the deciding vote, no? Or we could transfer it to Russia, and all those Tatars will be forced to speak and learn Russian, having their own culture repressed in favour of Russian culture and have to deal with foreign RUSSIAN immigrants who have been dominating their ancestral homeland for over 2 centuries.

Note, I'm not necessarily advocating this as a way of resolving issues, merely pointing out the severe logical fallacy in the argument you presented. It sounds suspiciously similar to the arguments that most Israelis use to justify what is in effect an occupation of Palestine (in my opinion).

The Tatars don't have any more rights than the Russians. They are only a small minority and they are not even the original inhabitants. Before the Tatars there were the Kipchaks, before the Kipchaks there were the Greeks, before the Greeks there were the Russians, before the Russians there were the Khazars, before the Khazars there were the Bulgars, before the Bulgars there were the Goths, before the Goths there were the Scythians. Land does not belong to any group by default.

If you are so fond of returning land back to its 'original inhabitants', than why don't you return to Europe and return the US to the native Americans?

chaos0xomega wrote:

The Tatars don't have any more rights than the Russians. They are only a small minority and they are not even the original inhabitants. Before the Tatars there were the Kipchaks, before the Kipchaks there were the Greeks, before the Greeks there were the Russians, before the Russians there were the Khazars, before the Khazars there were the Bulgars, before the Bulgars there were the Goths, before the Goths there were the Scythians. Land does not belong to any group by default.

Well, if ownership of land shifts throughout history, I say the ownership has shifted from Russia to Ukraine, as it did some 60 or so years ago now. Deal with it.

And by the same logic, Chechnya should be returned to the Chechens, should it not? You know, Chechens are 2/3 of Chechnyas population, and the number of ethnic Russians in Chechnya is less than the number of Tatars in Crimea.... The Chechens are the majority and have been there for long enough to be considered the original inhabitants.

If you are so fond of returning land back to its 'original inhabitants', than why don't you return to Europe and return the US to the native Americans?

I'm part Native American, so no thanks.

 EmilCrane wrote:
I would point out that France led its own peace keeping actions in Mali and France and Britain led the charge on Libya, not the US.

I know that most of the time Europe's line is "It would be nice is a superpower would sort this out for us" but they are getting better at actually fighting for their own interests.

 Frazzled wrote:
Reports of armed units taking over airports. Some are calling them Russian commandoes.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/28/gunmen-crimean-airports-ukraine

No, Ukrainians are still a minority in the Crimea. Russians are the majority, therefore it is Russian territory.

 Iron_Captain wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:
Reports of armed units taking over airports. Some are calling them Russian commandoes.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/28/gunmen-crimean-airports-ukraine

Well, they do wear Russian uniforms...