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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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| Information | | |
Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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22Feb14
Revolution but no salvation from crisis for Ukraine
In the end it simply became too much to bear. Footage of the carnage in Kiev propelled European leaders into serious action, pushing the regime of President Viktor Yanukovych into retreat.
As the agreement between the Ukrainian factions was made public on Friday, the right wing part of the protest movement declared that it would accept nothing short of capitulation. A promise of elections in December is not acceptable. In return, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski made it clear that this was the best offer on hand. Take it or face the consequences.
Following months of being long on talk and short on action, European leaders may feel that they have achieved something substantial. But if so, then they are deluding themselves. The sad truth is that Brussels has long been part of the problem rather than of the solution. It was striking that Mr. Yanukovych's refusal to sign an association agreement in appears to have come as a surprise to the EU.
It should have been clear that he had no intention of signing. Brussels simply allowed Kiev to up the ante with Moscow, pressing the Kremlin to award a much needed 33 percent discount on gas and a $15 billion credit.
The key to understanding the mess in Kiev is that the regime has feared nothing more than having to come down on either side. The preferred option is to continue maneuvering, playing Moscow and Brussels off against each other. Now that option is also being closed.
The country teeters on the brink of sovereign default and of territorial fragmentation, which might escalate into civil war.
The regime has lost all control over the western parts of the country, and Mr Yanukovych has left Kiev for safety in Kharkiv in the east. What we are witnessing is the last stand of his regime. Sacrificing ministers is no longer an option. Even allowing Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister, to finally leave prison is no longer likely to help.
What Brussels may have finally achieved is a Georgian-style scenario, where the western part of the country cries to Brussels for protection, while Russia on its side "protects" and annexes other parts of Ukraine, primarily the Crimea. The likelihood that a consensus government will emerge to keep the country united and at peace is melting away by the hour.
[Source: By Stefan Hedlund, Professor of Russian Studies, The Telegraph, London, 22Feb14]
 | This document has been published on 24Feb14 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |