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| On the barricades in Ukrainian capital (Image: Reuters) |
Ukraine is witnessing a real revolution as protests are spreading
outside of Kyiv, and people all over Ukraine are seizing regional offices and
declaring People’s Councils to represent people’s power there.
After the second round of talks held between the oppositional leaders
Vitaly Klichko, Arseny Yatsenyuk and Oleg Tyagnybok, and Yanukovich and his
team failed, as Yanukovich is unwilling to hear the people’s demands,
oppositional leaders and protesters have taken decision to leave the
negotiations’ process and to continue fight for Ukrainian freedom and rights.
The leaders though urged protesters to remain only peaceful and to preserve
strict discipline. The territory of Euromaidan was also fortified with the new
stronger and bigger barricades, tires are being burned in front of the riot
police lines, and protesters are ready for the possible storming and dispersal.
Night was relatively calm, there were no clashes during the next day as
well, as protesters and riot police had a ceasefire agreement. But the
confrontations between the protesters and police resumed in the night, as
police has reportedly started to shoot at the protesters. Protesters and police
are currently throwing rocks, fireworks and Molotov cocktails at each other,
there are injured.
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| Protesters on the barricades (Image: Ukrainska Pravda) |
Meanwhile revolutionaries all over Ukraine continue storming and seizure
of the regional offices, and in 8 governorates the People’s Councils have been
formed instead of the pro-Yanukovich governments, governors of several
governorates have resigned. Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Chernivtsi,
Khmelnitski, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Sumy are already taken by the revolutionaries,
and the power of people is declared there. Kyiv City Council is also taken and
being under control of the revolutionary forces since December 2013. Lutsk and
Uzhgorod regional offices are under siege.
There were also reports about resignations of some police officials and “Berkut”
soldiers in the Western governorates. Several members of Yanukovich’s Party of
Regions have declared that they leave this political power. Journalists form
the pro-government channels and media are also being resigned due to the
censorship and pressure.
The situation continues to escalate, as Yanukovich is unable to hear his
people and stop violence. The news that controversial figure, Andriy Klyuev, is
appointed by Yanukovich as a Head of the Presidential Administration, sparked
the anger too, as ex-Head of National Security and Defense Council is being
accused of giving the orders to disperse Euromaidan and he allegedly stands
behind the violence against the peaceful protesters.
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| Ukrainian women pray and ask riot police to stop violence (Image: AFP) |
During the meeting with the representatives of Ukrainian church
Yanukovich calledon them to address the people to stop the confrontations. He
also stated that he is very sad over the recent events in Ukraine – a statement
which is simply beyond any comments unde current circumstances and in light of
today’s Ukrainian events, as Yanukovich is actually the first President of
independent Ukraine, in who’s time peaceful citizens are being killed, tortured
and humiliated in front of the whole world.
Meanwhile one of the parliamentarians representing ruling Party of
Regions has registered in Parliament a draft law to cancel the scandalous 16
January dictatorial laws, as these laws seriously restrict Constitutional
rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens.
Western countries continue to follow Ukrainian events and express their
condemnation of the violence and brutal forces used by Yanukovich against his
own people. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had a phone talk with Yanukovich
yesterday urging him to stop violence and to start the real negotiations. Mrs.
Merkel also stated Germany is ready to mediate. Though on Friday Germany along
with France have summoned their ambassadors from Kyiv due to the recent events
in Ukraine.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Police Stefan Füle has
arrived in Kyiv on Friday and had talks with Yanukovich, oppositional leaders
and activists and representatives of the civil society. Catherine Ashton is
expected to visit Ukraine next week. European politicians are calling on
Ukrainian authorities to stop using force against protesters and remind that
the current behavior of Ukrainian government is unacceptable, and the relations
between EU and Ukrainian authorities will be revised. Personal and financial
sanctions could be also imposed against some Ukrainian officials.
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| Ukrainian priests on the barricades (Image: Den') |
Thus, Elmar Brock, Head of Committee of Foreign Affairs of European
Parliament, has stated that Yanukovich failed to hear his own people and the
situation must be immediately resolved, but in should be resolved in a peaceful
and lawful way, through the real negotiations between the sides. Western
countries are ready to play a mediation role during these talks, said Mr.
Brock, adding that European politicians and diplomats will visit Ukraine for
the talks and consultations during the following 10 days. In case the situation
will continue to escalate, EU could impose personal sanctions, visa
restrictions and arrest financials assets and bank accounts of some Ukrainian
high officials and oligarchs, and the lists of these persons are ready.
Thus, the situation remains tense, as the clashes between the protesters
and riot police resumed, and the ceasefire seems to end. Regional offices are either
taken and controlled by revolutionaries, or under siege. People in many regions
of Ukraine have joined an uprising, so the statements of the government that
there are only several thousand people from three Western regions protesting in
Maidan are totally untrue, and there is no doubts about is anymore.
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