May 27, 2014

Pro-European candidate Petro Poroshenko was officially declared the winner yesterday in the first presidential elections held in Ukraine since Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February in a popular uprising. Poroshenko took 54 percent of the vote, compared with former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s 13.1 percent. Claiming victory, Poroshenko vowed that he would not allow eastern Ukraine to be turned into Somalia–that is, a lawless state overrun by terrorists and pirates: “The antiterrorist operation [in eastern Ukraine] cannot and should not last two or three months. It should and will last hours.” A 48-year-old billionaire, Poroshenko declared after Sunday’s election that the majority of Ukrainians had given him a mandate to continue a course of integration with Europe. However, his first priority was to travel to eastern Ukraine to tackle the “war and chaos caused by pro-Russian separatist rebels.”

This morning, Ukraine’s interior ministry reported that the army was once again in full control of the airport in the eastern city of Donetsk. An attempt yesterday by pro-Russian separatists to take over the airport was met with army air strikes and an assault by heavily armed troops. A series of bloody clashes left at least 30 rebels dead. A BBC correspondent in Ukraine suggested that the attempt to seize the airport may have been intended to prevent Poroshenko from landing there after he declared his intention of personally going to eastern Ukraine to deal with the uprising.

Pro-Rusian separatists yesterday unsuccessfully attempted to gain control of the airport in Donetsk, the largest city in eastern Ukraine. The attack may have been an effort to keep Ukraine's new president, Petro Poroshenko, from landing there in his attempt to unify the nation. (World Book map; map data © MapQuest.com, Inc.)

International affairs experts noted that the election, which was billed at the most important since Ukraine separated from Russia 23 years ago, went off with a minimum of violence and disturbances at polling places.

For additional information on the Ukrainian crisis, search Ukraine articles under Archived Stories.

Additional World Book article:

• Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)
• Ukraine 2013 (a Back in Time article)

March 21, 2014

Leaders of the European Union (EU) and Ukraine signed an agreement today designed to give the Ukraine’s interim leadership under Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk economic and political support. European Union President Herman Van Rompuy stated that the accord “recognizes the aspirations of the people of Ukraine to live in a country governed by values, by democracy and the rule of law.” Calling it a “historic day,” Prime Minister Yatsenyuk declared, “We want to be a part of the big European family and this is the first tremendous step in order to achieve for Ukraine its ultimate goal, as a full-fledged member.” Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s abandonment of an EU trade agreement in November to move closer to Russia triggered massive protests that brought down his government and ultimately resulted in Russia’s seizure of Crimea.

Both Yatsenyuk and Rompuy noted that “the best way to contain Russia is to impose real economic leverage.” To that end, EU leaders have scheduled meetings to forge ways to reduce their energy dependence on Russia. Natural gas and oil from Russia accounted for at least 33 percent of total EU imports in 2010.

International affairs experts point out that natural gas and oil profits fuel Russia’s economy and, thus, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power on the world stage. They describe today’s agreement as a show of support following the Crimean annexation earlier this week.

Yesterday, President Barack Obama of the United States announced further sanctions against prominent Russians, many of whom are close associates of President Putin. President Obama also revealed that he has signed an executive order that allows the United States “to impose sanctions on key sectors of the Russian economy.” He also urged Congress to pass an aid package to support the Ukraine’s tottering economy.

In Moscow, President Putin signed legislation into law formally absorbing Crimea into Russia. Russia sent troops into Crimea in late February, seizing control from Ukraine on the pretext that the region’s Russian-speaking majority needed protection from the next government in Kiev.

For additional information on the Ukrainian revolution, search Ukraine articles under Archived Stories.

Additional World Book article:

• Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)

March 18, 2014

President Vladimir Putin and Crimean leaders, meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, signed a treaty this morning in which the Russian Federation annexed the strategically important Black Sea peninsula. In a televised speech before both houses of the Russian parliament, President Putin stated, “In the hearts and minds of people, Crimea has always been and remains an inseparable part of Russia.” Putin then declared that he had corrected a “historical injustice.” (Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev transferred Crimea to the Soviet Republic of Ukraine in 1954.) Putin went on to speak of the humiliations Russia has suffered with one superpower–the United States–dominating the world. He specifically pointed to the NATO air war in Kosovo in 1999 and the toppling of Libyan leader Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi in 2011. Putin described NATO bombing in Libya as carried out under the false pretense of humanitarian intervention.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crimean leaders meeting in the Kremlin signed a treaty this morning that made Crimea part of the Russian Federation. (Superstock)

In the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, the foreign ministry responded to the annexation with the following statement: “We do not recognize and never will recognize the so-called independence or the so-called agreement on Crimea joining the Russian Federation.” France, Germany, and the United States also condemned the Russia-Crimea treaty. In London, British Prime Minister David Cameron stated, “It is completely unacceptable for Russia to use force to change borders on the basis of a sham referendum held at the barrel of a Russian gun.”

Pro-Russian forces took over Crimea late last month after Ukraine’s president, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted. International affairs experts note that the pretense was to protect Crimea’s Russian-speaking majority, that is, “humanitarian intervention.” The crisis in Ukraine began in November 2013 when Yanukovych abandoned a European Union trade agreement in favor of closer ties to Russia, triggering massive protests in the capital and other cities.

For additional information on the Ukrainian revolution, search Ukraine articles under Archived Stories.

Additional World Book articles:

• Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)
• Kosovo 2008 (a Back in Time article)
• Kosovo 2009 (a Back in Time article)
• Libya 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 1994 (a Back in Time article)

February 28, 2014

Masked men of uncertain allegiance, dressed in camouflage fatigues and carrying assault rifles, took up position today both inside and outside the international airport at Simferopol, Ukraine, as well as a second airfield nearby. Simferopol is a city in Ukraine’s far southern Crimea region. The men have not, so far, harmed anyone or interfered with normal airport operations, but their presence has unnerved travelers and airport personnel alike. Outside the city, long columns of military vehicles with Russian markings are on the move, and experts on the security situation in Ukraine state that it is unclear what their movement signals, other than a show of strength.

In the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, the acting president, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, informed the Security and Defense Council that armed men wearing the uniform of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet have taken control of a Ukrainian border crossing just outside the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Sevastopol is home to Russia’s formidable naval fleet on the Black Sea. The Ukrainian parliament responded to these provocations with an appeal to Russia to “stop moves that show signs of undermining [Ukraine's] national sovereignty.” The parliament also officially notified the United Nations of the situation and urged the United Kingdom and the United States to honor commitments made in the early 1990′s to protect Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Crimea, Ukraine's southernmost region, is of extreme strategic importance to Russia. With Russia conducting military exercises along the border, many Ukrainians fear Russia has designs on Crimea. (World Book maps)

In Moscow, the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a denial that its forces have moved into Crimea and declared that Russia has not violated agreements not to intervene in Ukrainian affairs. Many Ukrainians fear that Russia is using the chaotic situation following the collapse of Viktor Yanukovych’s government to take control of strategically important Crimea. (Russia maintains numerous military facilities in Crimea dating from the era when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.)

Crimea as well as eastern Ukraine is largely populated with Russian-speaking people with close cultural ties to Russia. (Western Ukraine is largely populated with Ukrainian-speaking people who want Ukraine allied with the European Union.) Last night, pro-Russia demonstrators marched on the regional parliament in Simferopol, chanting, “Rossiya, Rossiya” (Russia, Russia) and took control of various government buildings.

Additional World Book article:

Russia in the Post-Soviet World (a special report)

February 24, 2014

Ukraine’s parliament issued an arrest warrant today for Viktor F. Yanukovych, Ukraine’s ousted president, who is believed to be in hiding somewhere in Crimea. He is charged with mass murder for the killing last week of more than 80 antigovernment protesters in Kiev, the capital. On February 21, Yanukovych and leaders of the antigovernment opposition reached a compromise agreement designed to end the political crisis that had turned Kiev into a battleground. However, the protesters in the streets would have none of it and demanded his immediate resignation. Abandoned by his political party, by the army and police, and even by his own body guards, Yanukovych fled Kiev late on February 22. According to one source, he flew by helicopter to eastern Ukraine, the Russian-speaking half of the country that was once his base of public support.

The Ukrainian parliament, moving quickly to assert control of the government, yesterday stripped Yanukovych of all power and granted its new parliamentary speaker, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, the authority to carry out the duties of the president. In a recorded address to the nation, Turchynov assured the public that all police and security services were now on the side of the new government. “The law enforcement structures are no longer threatening the life, health and security of the citizens of Ukraine,” he declared, noting that the army has also vowed its support. “Our first task today,” he stated, “is to stop confrontation, renew governance, management and legal order in the country.”

The parliament also restored to the state ownership of the presidential palace, which Yanukovych had privatized. The presidential compound was subsequently thrown open to the public, which streamed through the opulent, gilded rooms, gawking at the conspicuous display of wealth: the collections of expensive cars, antique and modern; a zoo; and a private restaurant in the shape of a floating pirate ship. In the face of such profligacy, the leaders of Yanukovych’s own party, the Party of Regions, issued a scathing statement denouncing him as a crook, a criminal, and a coward. Experts on Ukraine’s financial situation noted that the nation faces an economy in shambles, disastrous national debts, and a treasury and national pension system on the brink of bankruptcy.

Former President Viktor Yanukovych, who is wanted for mass murder, is believed to be in hiding somewhere in Crimea, the southernmost region of Ukraine. Border guards claim to have blocked Yanukovych from leaving the country by air sometime over the weekend. (World Book maps)

The unrest in Ukraine began in November when Yanukovych rejected a trade deal with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia. In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to purchase $15 billion in Ukrainian government bonds. These moves to bind Ukraine to Russia infuriated Ukrainians who wanted the country allied to the West with its tradition of democracy and capitalism. Speaking this morning from the Olympic park in Sochi, Russia, Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev condemned the movement that brought down Yanukovych: “Today, I see no legitimate Ukrainian partners for dialogue. . . If people crossing Kiev in black masks with Kalashnikov rifles are considered a government, it will be difficult for us to work with such a government.” The next multbillion dollar installment of Russian aid to Ukraine has been cancelled, and yesterday, the Russian ambassador to Kiev was recalled, because of “chaos” in the city, and the.

Foreign correspondents in Kiev reported this morning that calm seems to have settled over the city. Former protesters have joined city police–who only last week were shooting at them–to share responsibility for guarding government buildings and directing traffic.

Additional World Book articles:

• Kuchma, Leonid Danylovich
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Ukraine 2004 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2005 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2009 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2010 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2012 (a Back in Time article)

February 21, 2014

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and leaders of the anti-government opposition reached a compromise agreement this morning designed to end the political crisis that has turned Kiev, the capital, into a battleground. After hours of talks with opposition leaders, Yanukovych agreed to hold new elections by December; to form a national unity government; and to restore a constitution drafted in 2004 that would reduce the power of the president. After French, German, and Polish foreign ministers witnessed the signing of the agreement, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued a statement commending both sides “for their courage and commitment to the agreement” and calling for “an immediate end to all violence and confrontation in Ukraine.” However, it remains unclear whether protesters in the streets will back the agreement, which leaves Yanukovych in power until at least the end of the year. Many protesters have declared that nothing short of his immediate resignation will satisfy them.

The western half of Ukraine supports closer ties with the European Union. The eastern half, where most people speak Russian and are of Russian descent, continues to support Viktor Yanukovych's move to bind Ukraine closer to Russia. (World Book map; map data © MapQuest.com, Inc.)

Shortly after the deal was signed, Ukraine’s parliament approved the immediate restoration of the 2004 constitution and granted amnesty to protesters accused of involvement in recent violence. The parliament also voted to release former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been imprisoned for more than two years. In 2011, Tymoshenko was found guilty of abuse of power and sentenced to seven years in prison. Many Ukrainians and most western leaders denounced both her trial and sentence as political motivated.

Today’s agreement comes after the bloodiest day yet in the three-month uprising. Yesterday, Ukrainian security forces in Kiev killed at least 50 protesters following the breakdown of a truce agreed to on February 19. Military-grade weapons were issued to police, and according to witnesses, snipers shot protesters from rooftops around Independence Square, the center of the demonstrations.

The unrest in Ukraine began in November when Yanukovych rejected a trade deal with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia. His move to bind Ukraine to Russia infuriated the residents of western Ukraine who want the country allied to the West with its tradition of democracy and capitalism. Yanukovych remains popular in the Russian-speaking eastern half of the country, where economic and cultural ties with Russia are strong.

Additional World Book articles:

• Kuchma, Leonid Danylovich
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Ukraine 2004 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2005 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2009 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2010 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2012 (a Back in Time article)

February 19, 2014

After several days of quiet in Ukraine, violent clashes again erupted between security forces and antigovernment protesters attempting to storm the parliament in the capital, Kiev. At least 26 people were killed in the hours-long melee, with protesters, numbering in the tens of thousands, hurling cobblestones and Molotov cocktails at police who responded with rubber bullets and stun grenades. The enraged protesters reoccupied Kiev’s City Hall, which they had vacated just two days before. Militants also occupied and set fire to the headquarters of President Viktor Yanukovych’s ruling Party of Regions. The defense ministry ordered paratroopers into Kiev to defend government offices and military installations.

The latest mayhem broke out one day after it was revealed that Russia had purchased $2 billion in Ukrainian government bonds, providing yet another financial lifeline to Yanukovych’s government. In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged $15 billion to back Ukraine’s struggling economy.

The western half of Ukraine supports closer ties with the European Union. The eastern half, where most people speak Russian and are of Russian descent, continues to support Viktor Yanukovych's move to bind Ukraine closer to Russia. (World Book map; map data © MapQuest.com, Inc.)

The unrest in Ukraine began in November, when Yanukovych rejected a trade deal with the European Union (EU) in favor of closer ties with Russia. International affairs experts suggested that Yanukovych feared that moving Ukraine closer to the EU could trigger painful reprisals from Russia, Ukraine’s largest trading partner. During a natural gas price dispute in 2009, Vladimir Putin cut off the flow of natural gas to Ukraine, leaving the country without heat during a particularly bitter cold January. Russia has dominated Ukraine on and off  for more than 200 years. Because of its fertile soil, Ukraine was once described as Russia’s breadbasket.

Yanukovych’s move to bind Ukraine to Russia infuriated the residents of western Ukraine who want the country allied to the West with its tradition of democracy and capitalism. Yanukovych remains popular in the Russian-speaking eastern half of the country, where economic and cultural ties with Russia are strong.

Additional World Book articles:

• Kuchma, Leonid Danylovich
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Ukraine 2004 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2005 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2009 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2012 (a Back in Time article)

January 31, 2014

In an attempt to calm the turmoil roiling Ukraine, President Viktor Yanukovych today signed into law a bill granting amnesty to protesters who have been detained by the government. However, the offer requires opposition forces to first vacate government buildings they have occupied. Opposition forces rejected the bill, arguing that the law essentially makes hostages of the detainees, who, they say, must be freed without any conditions.

The unrest in Ukraine began on November 21 when President Yanukovych backed out of proposed political and free trade accords that would have moved the country closer to the European Union (EU). Experts on the situation in Ukraine note that to most Ukrainians, the West represents freedom, democracy, and prosperity. International affairs experts suggest that Yanukovych feared that moving Ukraine closer to the EU could trigger painful reprisals from Russia, Ukraine’s largest trading partner. During a natural gas price dispute in 2009, Russian President Vladimir Putin cut off the flow of natural gas to Ukraine, leaving the country without heat during a particularly cold January. Russia has dominated Ukraine on and off  for more than 200 years. Because of its fertile soil, Ukraine was once described as Russia’s breadbasket. Three protesters and three police officers have died since the protests turned violent on January 22.

Ukraine's flag adopted in 1992, has two horizontal stripes, blue and yellow (top to bottom). The blue stripe symbolizes the sky, and the yellow stripe symbolizes the wheat fields of Ukraine. The coat of arms dates from the late 900's and features a trident (three-pointed spear). (Flag artwork © 2014 Dream Maker Software; World Book illustration)

Earlier this week, Yanukovych accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his Cabinet. He also offered senior positions to the opposition, who refused the offer. Yanukovych’s move followed a vote by the Ukrainian parliament to repeal recently passed legislation that, among other measures, banned the wearing of helmets by protesters and the blockading of public buildings. Negotiations between the authorities and the opposition on ending the crisis have stalled. On Thursday, Yanukovych announced he had contracted a serious respiratory illness and went on leave.

Additional World Book articles:

• Kiev
• Kuchma, Leonid Danylovich
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Ukraine 2004 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2005 (a Back in Time article)

January 22, 2014

Two protesters were killed today, shot by police, in clashes between demonstrators and security forces in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. The fatalities are the first since antigovernment protests began there two months ago. Responding to news of the deaths, thousands of protesters are now pouring into Kiev’s Independence Square. Overhead hangs a cloud of acrid, black smoke from the burning of tires at blocked intersections.

Today’s violence was touched off by police moving in to dismantle a protest camp. Protesters, angered by the government’s apparent tightening of relations with Russia, have been camped out in Kiev since late November. New laws banning unauthorized tents in public areas and prescribing jail terms for anyone blockading public buildings went into effect today. The hasty passage of the laws last week by the Ukrainian parliament triggered renewed protests over the weekend, with young men hurling fireworks and Molotov cocktails at security forces guarding the parliament building. Riot police responded with stun grenades and rubber bullets. At least 200 people were injured in that melee.

Ukrainians protest in Kiev's Independence Square in 2004. Their demonstrations led to the Orange Revolution, an important step toward democracy. However, subsequent governments have failed to live up to the promise of the revolution. (AP/Wide World)

The unrest in Ukraine began on November 21 when President Viktor Yanukovych backed out of proposed political and free trade accords that would have moved the country closer to the European Union (EU). Experts on the situation in Ukraine note that to most Ukrainians, the West represents freedom, democracy, and prosperity. International affairs experts suggest that Yanukovych feared that moving Ukraine closer to the EU could trigger painful reprisals from Russia, Ukraine’s largest trading partner. During a natural gas price dispute in 2009, Russian President Vladimir Putin cut off the flow of natural gas to Ukraine, leaving the country without heat during a particularly cold January.

Russia has dominated Ukraine on and off  for more than 200 years. Because of its fertile soil, Ukraine was once described as Russia’s breadbasket.

Additional World Book articles:

• Kuchma, Leonid Danylovich
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Ukraine 2004 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2005 (a Back in Time article)

December 18, 2013

The Russian government announced yesterday that the state-owned Gazprom energy company has dropped the price of natural gas supplied to Ukraine from more than $400 per 1,000 cubic meters to $268.50. Russian President Vladimir Putin also agreed yesterday to purchase $15 billion in Ukrainian government bonds. In Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told his Cabinet ministers that the aid from Russia is saving Ukraine from “bankruptcy and social collapse” and that the lower gas prices will allow for “a revival of economic growth.”

The massive antigovernment protests that have disrupted Kiev and other Ukrainian cities for weeks continued, however. The leaders of the opposition movement are demanding to know what Ukraine offered Russia in return for the aid. Speaking yesterday in Kiev’s Independence Square, opposition party leader Vitali Klitschko told protesters that President Viktor Yanukovych was betraying Ukraine’s independence by joining with Russia.

(World Book map; map data © MapQuest.com, Inc.)

The protests in Kiev began in late November with demonstrators blockading government buildings and erecting barricades in a campaign to bring down the Yanukovych government. The unrest was triggered by Yanukovych’s refusal to sign sweeping political and free trade accords that would have moved Ukraine closer to the European Union (EU). Experts on the situation in Ukraine note that to most Ukrainians, the West represents freedom, democracy, and prosperity. International affairs experts suggest that Yanukovych feared that moving Ukraine closer to the EU could trigger painful reprisals from Russia, Ukraine’s largest trading partner. During a natural gas price dispute in 2009, Putin cut off the flow of natural gas to Ukraine, leaving the country without heat during a particularly cold January.

Russia has dominated Ukraine on and off  for more than 200 years. Because of its fertile soil, Ukraine was once described as Russia’s breadbasket.

Additional World Book articles:

• Kuchma, Leonid Danylovich
• Viktor Yushchenko
• Ukraine 2004 (a Back in Time article)
• Ukraine 2005 (a Back in Time article)