George Weigel: A step backward in Ukraine

 During the mid afternoon of January 29, reports from Kiev indicated that an impasse had been reached on the burning question of an amnesty for Maidan civil-reform protesters who had been arrested throughout Ukraine. Earlier in the day, it seemed that more than 50 members of President Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions in parliament had been peeled away from their caucus and were prepared to support, against the president’s wishes, an unconditional amnesty that would leave the Maidan protests intact by not compelling protesters to leave the government buildings they had occupied not only in Kiev but, in recent days, all over Ukraine. Then, it was reported by sources inside the parliament, Yanukovych blew a gasket, met with his party members, and threatened to disband parliament and declare martial law if an unconditional amnesty were passed. Some of the defectors from the Yanukovych party line wilted, and thus the reported impasse ensued.