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Recursion

(56,582 posts) Mon Dec 2, 2013, 09:31 AM Dec 2013

Ukrainian Protesters Control Landmark Plaza

Source: New York Times

Thousands of people milled about on Independence Square on Monday morning, as the Ukrainian government effectively ceded control of the landmark plaza to protesters demanding the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich and a revival of accords that would draw the country closer to Europe.

Several thousand people also marched on the Cabinet Ministry to demand the resignation of the government. They carried blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags and chanted, “Gang, get out!” Many employees could not enter the building and left — aiding the demonstrators’ effort to paralyze the government.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary leaders continued to meet behind closed doors to discuss the political future of the country and to calculate a response, given fractures that have emerged in Mr. Yanukovich’s support, both in the government and, apparently, among the important constituency of Ukraine’s wealthiest businessmen, known as oligarchs.

Volodymyr Rybak, the speaker of Parliament, said Monday that he did not see any basis for declaring a state of emergency — a step that Mr. Yanukovich and his top security advisers appeared to be considering, and one that would almost certainly escalate the confrontation with demonstrators who have already defied court orders and other edicts.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/03/world/europe/ukraine-unrest.html?_r=0

This is getting close to 1848 stuff: pavement stones pulled up and turned into barricades, etc...

5 replies

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Ukrainian Protesters Control Landmark Plaza (Original Post) Recursion Dec 2013 OP

Ukraine belongs with the EU, JimboBillyBubbaBob Dec 2013 #1

This solely concerns the trade agreement. dipsydoodle Dec 2013 #2

Indeed, JimboBillyBubbaBob Dec 2013 #3

Opinion polls in Ukraine show popular support for integrating with EU. Sand Wind Dec 2013 #4

Thanks for the post and link, Sand Wind. Here is the pie chart of the poll results. pampango Dec 2013 #5

JimboBillyBubbaBob

(1,389 posts)

1. Ukraine belongs with the EU,

Reply to Recursion (Original post)

Mon Dec 2, 2013, 01:45 PM

Dec 2013

not with Putin's Russia.

dipsydoodle

(42,239 posts)

2. This solely concerns the trade agreement.

Reply to JimboBillyBubbaBob (Reply #1)

Mon Dec 2, 2013, 01:52 PM

Dec 2013

What Ukraines debt/GDP would become would at least ensure they'd not get in the EU anyway.

The fact remains that in the July polls the majority wanted to go with Russia. Current number of protesters is insignificant in context with their pop. of 48 million.

JimboBillyBubbaBob

(1,389 posts)

3. Indeed,

Reply to dipsydoodle (Reply #2)

Mon Dec 2, 2013, 03:34 PM

Dec 2013

much as the EU began with the coal and steel community prior to the Common Market. It always begins with economics.

Sand Wind

(1,573 posts)

4. Opinion polls in Ukraine show popular support for integrating with EU.

Reply to dipsydoodle (Reply #2)

Tue Dec 3, 2013, 12:22 AM

Dec 2013

Opinion polls in Ukraine consistently show broad & growing popular support for integrating with EU.

A poll conducted October 2-15 by GfK Ukraine showed three times as many Ukrainians favoring the association agreement with the European Union as supporting the Russian-led Customs Union:

Another poll conducted in November by IFAK Ukraine for DW-Trend showed 58 percent of Ukrainians supporting the country’s entry into the European Union.

The opinion poll numbers break down in thought-provoking ways. In the DW Trend poll, 50 percent of Ukrainians in the east and south—regions where the populations tend to be more sympathetic to Russia—support joining the European Union.

A third poll, conducted by The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in mid-September, showed Ukrainians favoring the European Union over the Customs Union by 41 percent to 35 percent. But the poll provided a very interesting demographic breakdown: the younger the voter, the greater gap between support for the European Union and support for the customs union.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024086774

pampango

(24,692 posts)

5. Thanks for the post and link, Sand Wind. Here is the pie chart of the poll results.

Reply to Sand Wind (Reply #4)

Tue Dec 3, 2013, 06:35 AM

Dec 2013

"... the poll provided a very interesting demographic breakdown: the younger the voter, the greater gap between support for the European Union and support for the customs union."

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2013/11/18-viktor-yanukovych-losing-europe-ukrainian-public-pifer-thoburn

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