EuroMaidan Revolution
Andrew Wilson: The Ukrainian #Euromaidan
A protester holds a stick over a drum bearing the printed portrait of Ukraine's President as he takes part in an opposition protest against the current Ukrainian government in the western Ukrainain city of Lviv on December 6, 2013. Protesters have since December 1 controlled Kiev's main Independence Square in response to Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to bow to Russian pressure and reject a historic deal with the European Union that would have pulled Ukraine out of Moscow's orbit for the first time. Yanukovych held unannounced talks in Russia on December 6 with Vladimir Putin on a new strategic partnership treaty with Moscow, a move that risks further galvanising mass pro-Western demonstrations against his rule. AFP PHOTO / YURIY DYACHYSHYN
As the OSCE foreign ministers gather in Kiev, the outcome of the protests in Ukraine is uncertain. It would be foolish to make predictions. President Yanukovych is exploring re-negotiation with the EU; the opposition is getting more organised. A violent crackdown is still a possibility; some are defecting from the regime, but there are also some signs that the regime is re-consolidating itself. But after several days of mass street protests, it is a good time to think about some general issues.
