Ukraine Crises
By: Allishba Dawood
How did the unrest in Ukraine begin?
It started last fall, with protests in Kiev’s Independence Square, which swelled and turned violent after the government cracked down. A familiar pattern, but things have taken a twist in just the past 24 hours. President Viktor Yanukovych waved the white flag and, alongside the three main protest leaders, signed a deal that meets nearly all their demands, including the restoration of the 2004 constitution and the holding of elections at the end of the year.
Who is President Yanukovych, and why has he fled?
President Yanukovych is a Ukranian politician who served as the President of Ukraine from February 2010 until February 2014, a year short of the prescribed five-year term. President Yanukovych flees Kiev as protesters take control of his palace.
Who are the protesters?
The street fighters in Independence Square, kitted out with motorcycle helmets, plywood shields and baseball bats. On Friday, several dozen of these men lounged near a barricade on Hrushevsky Street in a scene that seemed gloomy and dangerous until one noticed the other figures who have become nearly as ubiquitous as them as the huge protests against the government of President Viktor F. Yanukovych escalated into deadly combat. A newspaper editor said that “They are the bravest men, they are fighting for our freedom, they defend us and they are our heroes.”
Why did the unrest escalate in the past two weeks?
Because the president has fled and there are new elctions being held, also still riots.
What role do Russia and the West play in the Ukrainian crisis?
Russia can have mainly four different roles: Instigation, management (financial, informational, and technological), withdrawal of political support, and lastly, a return to a veiled posturing in Crimea. The West also plays the same role.
How do you think this conflict will end?
Ukrainian acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Wednesday that the separatist protests in Ukraine's eastern region would be resolved within 48 hours -- either through negotiations or the use of force. While I think that Ukraine crises will end by negotiation not by force. There are also 5 possible directions in Ukraine which is going to the guns, Russia retreats, russian retreats with conditions, The western world turns on the squeeze play, or the takeaway