Violent Kiev

From the BBC:

"Why is Ukraine in turmoil?"

Violence has erupted in the Ukrainian capital Kiev once again, with dozens of people being killed during clashes between anti-government protesters and police. The stand-off, which has oscillated between calm and violence for months, escalated dramatically on 18 February, with policemen being shot, and riot police moving in to clear the peaceful protest camp on Independence Square. The stakes for Ukraine and its 45 million people are enormous, with the country's fate now part of a wider strategic battle between the West and Russia.

What are the protests about?

Those on the streets say they are struggling over the future development of the country - will it be a country based on the rule of law, or Russian-style oligarchy and closed interests? The protests broke out after President Viktor Yanukovych's government rejected a far-reaching accord with the European Union in November 2013, in favour of stronger ties with Russia. Thousands of people, outraged that a long-standing aspiration for integration with Europe had been ditched overnight, poured into central Kiev for peaceful protests. They have occupied Independence Square, known as Maidan, ever since. Several developments - including violent police attacks on student protesters, severe new anti-protests laws, and the abduction and beating of opposition activists - have caused the demonstrations to spread and intensify. For many people, they are now less about Europe than about getting rid of a president they believe is clinging to power and serving the interests of his own close circle and Moscow.

What caused the latest outburst?

The sudden deterioration of violence on 18 February - by far the deadliest day since protests began - took many people by surprise. Both sides have blamed each other but who threw the first stone, or fired the first shot, is not clear. The day before had been calm. The government and opposition had agreed a deal - an amnesty for arrested protesters, if demonstrators vacated captured government buildings. The opposition had also agreed, with negotiators for the president's ruling Party of the Regions, that parliament would discuss changing the constitution, to reduce the president's powers. But then, the speaker of parliament refused to allow that on the agenda. As news got out, angry protesters marched on parliament. Police tried to block their way. Protesters tried to force their way through, and violent clashes ensued. Later, riot police moved into Independence Square.

How did it come to this?

These are some of the key events in the escalating unrest:

• 21 November 2013: Government announces EU Association Agreement being abandoned; prompting major protests in Kiev
• 30 November: Police launch brutal raid on student protesters; TV images spur protests which grow during December
• 17 December: Russian President Vladimir Putin offers economic lifeline to Ukraine, with $15bn of loans and cheaper gas supplies. Protesters see it as Moscow buying off President Yanukovych
• 16 January 2014: Parliament passes anti-protest laws, which opponents call "draconian". Most of the laws later repealed
• 19-20 January: Intense clashes
• 22 January: First protest deaths: two people die from gunshot wounds after clashes with police. Another body, of an activist, found in a forest days after his abduction.
• 23-24 January: Protesters seize government buildings in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and other western Ukrainian cities. Protests also spread east
• 28 January: Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his government resign
• 14-16 February: Under an amnesty deal, protesters vacate occupied government buildings, and charges against those arrested dropped
• 18 February: Parliament speaker rejects debate on changing constitution; violent clashes erupt in Kiev, leaving at least 25 dead

Who are the protesters?

The protests have been strongest in the Kiev area and western Ukraine, where there is a greater affinity with Europe to the west, rather than in the Russian-speaking east and south. But there have been protests in eastern Ukraine too. The leaders of the three opposition parties in parliament have been on the Maidan, attempting to direct the protests, and trying to present a united front.

They are Vitali Klitschko, the former world heavyweight boxing champion and leader of the pro-EU Udar movement; Arseniy Yatsenyuk, of the country's second biggest party, Fatherland, and an ally of jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko; and Oleh Tyahnybok, head of the far-right group Svoboda (Freedom). But these leaders appear not to enjoy the full trust of many protesters. The Fatherland party, in particular, is tainted by its recent years in government, and seen by some as part of the political establishment. Some radical right-wing groups, like Right Sector and Common Cause, have been at the forefront of clashes with police, though it is not clear how much support they have.

How has the West reacted?

The US embassy in Kiev revoked the visas of "several Ukrainians who were linked to the violence" after the deaths on 22 January.  EU leaders expressed shock at the deaths and called on all sides to halt the violence. Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the EU Commission, warned that the EU's relationship with Ukraine might have to be reviewed. The EU's official position on the agreement abandoned in November is that the door remains open for Ukraine to sign but it has put any new negotiations on hold until there is a clear commitment to do so. Both the EU and US condemned the now-revoked anti-protest laws, saying they were incompatible with Ukrainians' democratic aspirations.  The EU and US have raised the prospect of a joint economic plan to help Ukraine bring an end to its crisis. But officials say any proposal would be linked to precise political and economic reforms and are adamant there will be no "bidding competition" with Russia. Top EU diplomat Catherine Ashton has visited Kiev and is playing a key role in negotiating with the Ukrainian government and opposition. On 6 February, a bugged phone conversation surfaced on the internet - purportedly between visiting Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and the US ambassador - revealing US thinking on key opposition figures. Ms Nuland was also apparently heard to use an expletive to describe the EU's role in Ukraine.

Is Russia pulling the strings in Kiev?

To many observers, the deal struck between Russia and Ukraine on 17 December points to a carrot-and-stick approach by the Kremlin.  The 2004 Orange Revolution led to Mr Yanukovych's removal from power after his election was judged to have been fraudulent. Russia backed him then - and backs him now. For centuries Ukraine was controlled by Moscow and many Russians see Ukraine as vital to Russian interests. After the riots erupted on 19 January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the protests were "getting out of control", and accused European politicians of stirring up the trouble.

^ I haven't forgotten about Euromaiden or those people who are protesting for a free/fair way of life. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25182823