Three months of anti-government protests in the capital of Ukraine came to a head last weekend as protesters took control of critical government buildings and the presidential residence. Protesters took to the streets in late November, objecting the pro-Russian policies of former president Viktor Yanukovych.
Following mass arrests on Nov. 30, between 800,000 and one million Ukrainians filled Kiev’s Independence Square to show support for joining the European Union, according to the BBC. Snipers deployed by the former president and the Ministry of the Interior opened fire on the protesters on Feb. 20 as they approached parliament, leaving 88 dead. In the days since, Ukraine has found itself politically torn between Russia and the West (BBC).
With the former president on the run since Saturday and a warrant out for his arrest, questions about what is next for Ukraine are being raised by Russia, the West and, most importantly, Ukrainians themselves. According to the Guardian, the country has become divided between Russia and the EU with the western half of the country favoring an EU-based, democratic future, while the East and South, specifically the autonomous region of Crimea, have openly pledged support to Russia. In the Southeast, the city of Sevastopol, home to a Russian naval base and around 25,000 Russian troops, has raised a Russian flag atop city hall and begun forming militias to intimidate Kiev’s pro-West revolutionaries, according to The Guardian.
U.S. national security adviser Susan Rice warned Russia that it would be a “grave mistake” to deploy its military in the region, according to CNN. The warning was acknowledged by Russia, which then seized the opportunity to throw a diplomatic punch West:
“We have seen the expert evaluations of Susan Rice, which are based on repeated U.S. military interventions in multiple places around the world, especially where the U.S. administration is of the opinion that the norms of Western democracy are in danger or ruling regimes begin too clearly ‘to get out of hand’,” a Russian foreign ministry official said, according to non-governmental news source Interfax.
Arina Pluzhnivoka, a 26-year-old in Kiev, said the Ukranian people have been unified through the revolution.
“Everybody (does) something for another, (gives) help to each other,” Pluzhnivoka said. “Everybody who wants and can (brings) food, warm clothes, medical (supplies) and other things to (Independence Square). We changed with this revolution. We want to be a happy country – an independent country.”
