KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -- Thousands of protesters besieged government buildings in Ukraine's capital on Monday to demand the ouster of the prime minister and his Cabinet, as anger at the president's decision to ditch a deal for closer ties with the European Union gripped other parts of the country and threatened his rule.

Local officials in western Ukraine have openly sided with the protesters, while the major national television channels have scaled back their support for the government. In Parliament, President Viktor Yanukovych's party has suffered defections, potentially putting the government at risk of losing a no-confidence vote that could come as early as Tuesday.

With protesters blocking entrances to the Cabinet and central bank buildings, Yanukovych called European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and asked if he could send a delegation to discuss some aspects of the association agreement, Barroso said in a statement. Barroso said he agreed. The commission refused to say when such a meeting might take place.

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said that the EU dialogue with Ukraine was being put back on track with the participation of Ukraine's first deputy prime minister, Serhiy Arbuzov, and that it included possible financial support.

more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UKRAINE_PROTEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-12-02-12-07-29

was that Yanukovych wanted considerably more than the €1 billion offered by the EU to tide them over. What's at stake for the Ukraine is $20 billion in loans from Russian banks, $10 billion other Russian loans and the potential loss of $20 billion p.a. in exports to Russia.

The protesters THINK that joining a trade union with the EU will lead to EU membership giving them access to migration . Well dream on suckers - the Ukraine's financial situation may well prohibit that for some considerable time.

countries and Ukraine. ... According to Yanukovych Ukrainian relations with "the West" are "a guide in both social and technical standards that we should strive for in creating a European life level in Ukraine". Yanukovych believes that the European integration of Ukraine is not an end in itself, but a way of implementation of the European standards in the state.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Yanukovych#Domestic_policy

It is safe to say that he has been under pressure from Russia lately to not follow through on his earlier statements.

and become the next EU basket case to be stripped clean by the vultures. But first let's topple our government!

"People power," gotta love it.

Than to being shackled to Russia again.

.

Than falling back into the sphere of influence of a nation who did this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor

to them

Ukraine entered into what was supposed to be trade agreement with Russia at least twice before, with disastrous results both times.

In 1654:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogdan_Khmelnitsky#Treaty_with_Moscovy
and then in 1922:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic#Founding:_1917.E2.80.931922
In other words, fool me once - shame on you; fool me twice - shame on me. (Or, if you prefer, Bush's version: "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.&quot

The view many Ukrainians have is that they were slaves who tasted freedom (more or less since 1991), and now they are being brought back in chains (note that %% sharing this view varies from probably 95 in the west to 5 in the east of Ukraine).

Currently about 50,000 max out of c. 48 million.

That's just on one given day, and only in Kyiv, and only in one square.

Compare to:

In Washington, the march route took the group of 30,000

re. various losses they would suffer as axresult of an EU trade deal. He's holding out for more.

to get more from the EU by threatening at the last minute to stick with a Russia-based trade policy.

if EU imports from there don't counterbalance current Ukraine exports to Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Thats quite aside from a possible gas supply problem............winter is coming..

Ukraine's leading export market with 26.6% compared to 23.7% going to Russia.

Its exports to the Ukraine the EU is viewing which the Ukraine may not be able to afford anyway given they can't even afford their gas bill. Currently the Ukraine is also suspected of relabelling EU for export to Russia & Co and that market may dry up too.

Ukraine is not a candidate for EU membership and probably won't be for a long time, if ever. Some Ukrainians may hope for it, and it may happen one day.

largely because that has on bearing on either the UK or the Republic of Ireland with whom Schengen visas don't apply.

Are you beginning to understand some of the background to the protests ?

You're right, we were fooled twice (some say Khmelnitzky didn't have a choice and Mazeppa had a no win situation) and NO MORE! The problem with Yushchenko is that he didn't understand that the same people were still running the government and he got tied up in things that were beyond him. These people will riot. They have no money, they have no food, and the "jobs" they have often don't pay. Yanukovech is just another puppet of Moscow.

Frankly, I'd like to see Ukraine be both EU and Russia free. But that's a pipe dream I don't think will ever happen in my lifetime. Then again, I didn't think the events of 1991 would have ever happen either. . .

Important topic, and members who added significant information on the issue.

Happy to rec.







[font style=color:#FF0000;]there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there?[/font]