Russia. Crimea. History. Nikolay Starikov

[34].

      3 December 2013. Kiev. The German foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle during his visit to Ukraine, breaking all imaginable diplomatic rules, came down to the protesters’ camp at the Maidan. He had meetings with V. Klitschko and A. Yatsenyuk, after that he declared that the EU is highly interested in further development of close relations with Ukraine. According to him, the dialogue with the opposition leaders was very constructive and interesting[35].

      5 December 2013. The protesters have blocked the bases of the “Berkut” special police forces in Vasilkovo and at the Krasnozvioszdny prospekt (Red-Star Avenue) in Kiev, where “Berkut” had its hostel. The opposition drafted a law in Rada about the dissolution of “Berkut” and about depriving the soldiers and the officers of the Special Forces of all special and military ranks[36]. The campaign of psychological and physical pressure on “Berkut” has started. However, these warriors fulfilled their duty with dignity.

      7 December 2013. Mikhail Saakashvili and a delegation of the European People’s Party visited the Maidan[37]. The specialist in loss of territories has come to give advice. Perhaps, due to such guests, Crimea would later reunite with Russia…

      8 December 2013. New protest actions in Ukraine – so-called “people’s veche” (assembly). The most numerous rally happened in Kiev. In the center of the city, the Euro-Maidan activists vandalized a sculpture of Lenin and demolished it. The “Svoboda” party took the full responsibility for this[38].

      9 December 2013. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Vice-President of the European Commission Baroness Catherine Margaret Ashton arrived in Kiev. She had talks with the President Yanukovich and conveyed to him the position of the United Europe: All the disputes in Ukraine must be settled in peaceful way[39]. The Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the US Department of State Victoria Jane Nuland also arrived in Kiev. Interesting, has she got the famous “cookies” with her already?

      11 December 2013. After one o’clock in the morning, soldiers of “Berkut”, Interior Troops (gendarmerie-like force) and workers of communal services began to move from the adjacent streets toward the barricaded areas. Using the police shields, they were trying to gradually “oust” the protesters from the occupied square, and simultaneously started to demolish the barricades[40].

      • In the morning, the law enforcement units also attempted to storm the building of the Kiev’s City Hall, which had been previously captured by the protesters. A tear gas was utilized during the assault. However, the operation failed and soon was terminated. The troopers, standing at minus 12 degrees frost and being poured with the cold water from the building of the city administration, had to retreat[41].

      • The same day and also in the morning the Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland visited the camp of the protesters at the Maidan accompanied by the American Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt. She handed out “cookies” to the protesters[42]. Can you imagine anything else, more violating the diplomatic etiquette? An Ambassador at a protest rally in a foreign country…

      • At the end of the day, Victor Yanukovich invited the opposition leaders to join to a round table of negotiations[43].

      • Crimea. The Presidium of the Supreme Council of Crimea claimed that there is a threat for the current autonomous status of the region and called upon all Crimeans to be mobilized for the sake of preserving the Autonomous Republic of Crimea[44].

      19 December 2013. 339 Deputies of the Supreme Rada voted for the oppositional draft law, which exempts all participants of mass protest rallies from criminal prosecution[45]. Officers and soldiers of the Ukrainian law enforcement institutions have felt that they have been betrayed. They were beaten, crippled, killed – and now all this will be left with impunity?

      22 December 2013. Another “people’s veche” announced the creation of a new national association “Maidan”. Co-chairpersons of the Council of this association were appointed Oleg Tyagnibok, Sergei Kvit, Vitaly Klitschko, Yury Lutsenko, Ruslana Lyzhychko, Yulia Timoshenko and Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Several Russian opposition leaders – Ilia Yashin, Konstantin Borovoy, and others – also took part in the “veche”[46].

      10 January 2014. Protesters tried to disrupt the court hearing of the case of “terrorists of Vasilkovo”. (22 August 2011 in a small town of Vasilkovo of the Kiev region, the Ukrainian Security Service arrested two municipal deputies of the Council of Vasilkovo – Igor Mosiychuk and Sergey Bevz – and an assistant of a deputy Vladimir Shpara. They were indicted in the preparation of an act of terrorism – i. e. an explosion of the Lenin’s monument in Borispol). As a result of the street fighting between the protesters and the police forces, two MPs of “Svoboda” party (Yury Bublik and Eduard Leonov) and the former Interior Minister Yury Lutsenko were hurt. About 20 “Berkut” officers got various traumas[47].

      12 January 2014. The first “veche” in the year 2014 took place at the Maidan in Kiev. According to the mass media from 50 to 200 thousand people took part in it.

      16 January 2014. The Supreme Rada adopted a series of amendments in the legislation. In particular, it was banned to wear facemasks during mass rallies and meetings, to install tents without permission, and to block access to residential buildings. Several amendments have criminalized slander and defamation, and extremist activities, in particular, on the Internet[48]. The opposition immediately branded these laws as “dictatorial” ones.

      19 January 2014. After the people’s “veche”, summoned by the opposition leaders, clashes began between the most radically minded protesters, who expressed their discontent with the laws adopted by the Supreme Rada on 16 January 2014, and the police units. The opposition demanded resignation of the Government and continuation of the Euro-integration. These demonstrations proved to be the most numerous and tense for the entire two-monthly period of the protests[49].

      The administration of the American President Barack Obama claimed that the responsibility for the conflict escalation should be on the Ukrainian authorities. Which proved to be not able to “admit and accept legitimate demands of own people” – according to a statement of the American administration. “The steps towards to criminalization of the peaceful protest, which were undertaken by the Ukrainian Government, undermine the democratic principles of the country” – claimed the U. S. National Security Council representative Kathleen Hayden[50]. Cannot help asking – why did the American administration not used the same approach to the “junta”, which later called itself as a power in Kiev? Why they have not blamed Turchinov and Yatsenyuk in the escalation of tension in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions? These two personage have certainly proved to “be not able to admit and accept legitimate demands of own people”? This question is a rhetorical one – the Americans always help only to “their” (i. e. “good guys”) and interfere with those who are not deemed to be “their” (i. e. “bad guys”).

      20 January 2014. The Foreign Affairs Council of EU called upon the official Kiev authorities to revise their last legislative acts. “They significantly restrict the fundamental rights of Ukrainian citizens to association, freedom of the media and the press, as well as seriously curtail the activities of public organizations” – claimed the Council

35

German Foreign Minister came to Maidan of Independence. http://lb.ua/news/2013/12/04/%20244318_glava_mid_germanii_prishel_maydan.html (in Russian).

36

http://www.analitik.org.ua/current-comment/int/52a5bdf0d51fe/pagedoc1096_4/ (in Russian).

37

Saakashvili arrived to the Kiev Euromaidan. http://glavred.info/politika/na-kievskiy-evromaydan-priehal-saakashvili-265396.html (in Russian).

38

Monument to Lenin demolished. http://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2013/12/8/7005453/ (as of 14 June 2014, in Russian).

39

Ashton discussed with Yanukovich “all necessary questions” – Kosyanchich. http://www.unian.net/politics/861907-eshton-obsudila-s-yanukovichem-vse-neobhodimyie-voprosyi-kosyanchich.html (in Russian).

40

Interior troops began parsing barricades around Maidan. http://lenta.ru/news/2013/12/11/maidan/ (in Russian).

41

“Berkut” left the Maidan Nezalezhnosti (the Independence Square). http://lenta.ru/news/2013/12/ 11/leave/ (as of 14 June 2014, in Russian).

42

US Undersecretary of State Nuland handed out cookies to the protesters at Maidan. http://ria.ru/world/20131211/983404951.html (in Russian).

43

Yanukovich invited the opposition to the round table. http://www.unian.net/politics/862405-yanukovich-priglasil-oppozitsiyu-na-kruglyiy-stol.html (in Russian).

44

Crimean parliament decided that Euromaidan threatens the autonomy of the peninsula. http://www.unian.net/politics/862503-parlament-kryima-reshil-evromaydan-ugrojaet-avtonomii-poluostrova.html (in Russian).

45

L. Paraskiva. “Do not rush to bury us” – The Maidan withstood a month. http://gazeta.ua/ru/articles/politics/_ne-speshi-ty-nas-horonit-majdan-otstoyal-mesyac/533416 (in Russian).

46

A Russian opposition leader asked the Maidan, whether they are Russophobes. http://www.unian.net/politics/866335-rossiyskiy-oppozitsioner-sprosil-u-maydana-rusofobyi-li-oni.html (in Russian).

47

R. Kamnev. The Euromaidan: Former Interior Minister Lutsenko was beaten by fighters of “Berkut”. http://bashmedia.info/politika/evromajdan_eksministr_vnutrennih_del_lucenko_izbit_bojcami_berkuta/ (in Russian).

48

T. Vysotskaya. The Law number 3879 and others. What for has Verkhovna Rada voted on January 16. http://nbnews.com.ua/ru/tema/110708/ (in Russian).

49

V. Shuvaev. Clashes resumed between opposition supporters and the police in Kiev. http://itar-tass.com/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/898802 (in Russian).

50

The Obama administration has again threatened Kiev by imposing sanctions. http://lenta.ru/news/2014/01/20/sanctions/ (in Russian).