Victory for Ukraine protestors, but no euphoria

Anna Sonny, 28 February 2014

Events in Ukraine have been unfolding rapidly over the past week. The eastern European country saw the return of one former president, Yulia Tymoshenko and the disappearance of Yanukovych, who was voted out by Ukrainian MPs and is now wanted by the authorities for the violence that led to the deaths of more than 80 people in the protests. Yanukovych later resurfaced in Russia affirming his presidency, but it is safe to say that he has lost control of Ukraine.

There is a sense of victory in Kiev – the protest movement has managed to oust Yanukovych but there is a distinct lack of euphoria as political and economic uncertainty remain. Yulia Tymoshenko, one of the key leaders of the Orange Revolution in 2004, was freed from jail after being imprisoned for abuse of office in 2011, on what was widely seen as a politically motivated charge. But she was not received by the crowds with the same energy as in 2004; it seems there has been a loss of faith in Ukraine’s political elite and now the protestors have gained control. Tymoshenko has decided not to take on the task of interim president but the job was given to Oleksandr Turchynov, her right hand man, who will hold it until the presidential election on May 25, in which Tymoshenko will run.

Tension has now flared up in Crimea, the mainly pro-Russian , autonomous republic in Ukraine. Russia has naval base in Sevastopol, where its Black Sea Fleet is based; under an agreement, it cannot take military equipment or vehicles outside of the base area without Ukraine permission. Russian forces are now blocking the airport in the region, while separatist and pro-Ukrainian groups have clashed in the streets. The sentiment there is that Yanukovych has been ousted by a coup; there are now fears that, with Yanukovych losing control of the country, Russia may attempt to promote separatist movements in Crimea, triggering another crisis in what is already a delicate period of transition for Ukraine.