Ukraine: acting President was appointed, EU announces its support of Ukrainian future government, Yanukovich disappeared, Yulia Tymoshenko is not welcomed as potential presidential candidate

Commemoration of slain protesters, Heroes of Ukraine
(Image: Euromaidan Facebook page)

After historical Parliamentary session held on Saturday and really decisive day for Ukrainians Parliament has officially declared return to the 2004 Constitution and impeached Yanukovich. Early presidential elections are set on 25 May 2014. Parliament has also voted on Sunday for the candidacy of acting President and appointed on this position current Speaker of Parliament Oleksandr Turchinov, according to the norms of the Constitution.

Oleksandr Turchinov in his turn has announced the beginning of forming of the interim government replacing the positions of Minister of Interior, Minister of Health, Minister of Education, Prosecutor General, Head of SBU (Intelligence Office) and others. European integration was declared as the main course of Ukrainian international policies, stated Mr. Turchinov.

EU officials and diplomats in their turn welcomed recent developments in Ukrainian politics and stop of violence. They have supported the decisions of Ukrainian Parliament claiming that everything was made in a legitimate way and there is no coup in the country, on the contrary to the yesterday’s statements of Victor Yanukovich, expressed during his speech prerecorded at an undisclosed location.

EU has also declared its total support of Ukrainian fight for democratic and developed country and announced its readiness to allocate 20 billion Euro financial aid for the reforms and development of economy and situation in Ukraine. This financial aid will be transferred to Ukraine when the new interim government representing all the factions of society and all political powers and trusted by people will be formed.

Maidan commemorates Heroes of Ukraine, slain protesters
(Image: Illya Varlamov)

USA officials have also supported recent events in Ukraine and Parliament’s decisions claiming that they recognize them as legitimate. In addition to that, US Administration representative stated that USA do not consider Yanukovich being Ukrainian President anymore, as he was officially impeached by Parliament and has totally lost his legitimacy using brutal force against Ukrainians and fleeing responsibility.

Meanwhile separatist moods are still alive and active in Ukraine, as Crimea was shaken on Sunday by the massive rally probably inspired by the Saturday’s failed attempts to federalize the country made by Kharkiv leaders Kernes and Dobkin. Both of them, by the way, attempted to escape the country, but failed to do so, and Mr. Kernes has even returned to Kharkiv and started to express his support of the new powers trying to gain some points from the new Ukrainian officials.

Thus, several thousand people have gathered in Crimean city of Sevastopol on Sunday declaring their allegiance to Russian and claiming that they will protect the city and Crimea from “Nazis” coming from Kyiv. They also stated that they refuse to recognize Ukrainian Parliament and its decisions and formed their own Council. In addition to that Ukrainian flag was torn down and replaced by the Russian one. These separatist statements and actions though will be investigated y SBU and are among the hardest crimes against the State and its sovereignty, according to the Constitution.

Yulia Tymoshenko on Maidan
(Image: BBC)

Similar rallies have been held in several other Southern Ukrainian cities, such as Kerch and Kherson. In Kherson supporters of Russian policies and so called “Russian Front” and Russian nationalists have attacked supporters of Euromaidan brutally beating them. These attempts though have also failed.

Leader of pro-Yanukovich Party of Region Oleksandr Yefremov in his turn has made an official statement representing current position of the members of the biggest Ukrainian party accusing Yanukovich in treason and totally irresponsible actions as Yanukovich has left his party and fled, hiding now and making some statements from under the ground. It seems that the biggest supporters and the closest circle of Yanukovich leave him.

As for other Yanukovich officials, whereabouts of many of them remain unknown, for example Olena Lukash, Ganna German, Olena Bondarenko, Andriy Portnov, Sergiy Arbuzov and many others, as numerous pro-Yanukovich officials and members of his party have either fled the country or attempted to do it.

Yanukovich also disappeared and his location and whereabouts also are unknown. There was information late on Saturday that his plane tried to leave Ukraine to Russia from Donetsk airport, but was denied the right to do it. The latest reports about former Ukrainian President Yanukovich state that he was arrested in Crimea, but this information is still unconfirmed.

Commemoration of slain protesters in Kyiv
(Image: Liga Net)

Meanwhile Euromaidan activists and representatives of Euromaidan Council, Right Sector, Automaidan and Self-Defense have officially declared that they will control the actions and all the deeds of the oppositional leaders and politicians as well and they are ready to call for new Maidan against them if they will fail to fulfill the demands of people and will lose this chance given them by people.

As for Yulia Tymoshenko release and her presidential ambitions, it’s worth mentioning, that she officially stated on Sunday, that she is not interested in the position of Prime Minister. Earlier, delivering her speech on Maidan, she stated that she is planning to run for Ukrainian President’s position.

Though Ukrainians are not so enthusiastic about the possibility of this perspective, and massive spontaneous rally was held today in front of the Parliament’s building, as people chanted that they advice Mrs. Tymoshenko to stay away from politics and that they fought not for her and her ambitions. Protesters kindly reminded her that she also represents the old regime and had her cases of corruption in the past, and there should be new faces and new system of governing after this Revolution. It was also stated that Yulia Tymoshenko is respected as a prominent political leader and a symbol of political repressions in Ukraine, but she is also in the past and it would be better for her to refuse her presidential ambitions. Similar campaigns are viral now in social networks as well, as activists of Euromaidan and Ukrainian citizens across the country ask Mrs. Tymoshenko not to forget who released her and to refuse the idea of participation in the presidential elections.