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Pro-EU Protests In Ukraine Enter Third Day

November 26, 2013
by RFE/RL

Thousands of pro-European students are rallying in a downtown Kyiv Square to hear opposition leaders denounce the government's refusal to sign an association accord with the EU later this week.

The leader of the opposition Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms (UDAR), Vitaly Klitschko, is among those addressing students from Kyiv's two biggest universities at the gathering in Shevchenko Square.

The rally is calling on the government to reverse policy and sign an association accord at the EU summit beginning in Vilnius on November 29.

The demonstrators have been camping out in Kyiv's Independence Square, lighting bonfires to keep warm, since the protests against the government's decision were initiated by opposition parties on November 24.

One of the protesters, Petro Lyutk, vowed he would stay on the street until this week's Vilnius summit of Eastern Partnership and EU leaders.

'Until the 29th [of November], until Ukraine's fate is decided in Vilnius,' Lyutk said. 'Until then we will stay here because there is no other way. We have to fight for European values, for the future of my grandchildren.'

Another protester, Vadim Toropov, said he is giving Kyiv the benefit of the doubt until Vilnius. But if the result is disappointing, the protesters' goal will change.

'Until the signing of the agreement with the EU,' Toropov said. 'If this doesn't happen, we're going to replace the authorities, and the only question then will be which way to do it.'

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Security Service says Kyiv prosecutors are investigating an attack on November 25 by unidentified individuals on a police vehicle.

Ukraine's security agency said in a statement that the investigation is part of ensuring security against "terrorist' threats during mass actions.

According Oleh Tyagnibok, a leader of the 'Svoboda' group that is one of several opposition parties organizing the protests, demonstrators seized equipment and wire-tapping devices from the Ukrainian Security Service's van in downtown Kyiv.

The protesters, who have clashed with police for two days, are urging President Viktor Yanukovych to sign a political and trade agreement with the European Union, whose officials have reportedly demanded reform pledges and a deal to allow Tymoshenko to seek medical treatment abroad from Kyiv.

On November 25, jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko launched a hunger strike in solidarity with the protesters.

In a message to protesters, Tymoshenko said, 'As a sign of unity with you I declare an unlimited hunger strike with the demand to Yanukovych to sign the Association Agreement.'

The leaders of the three main opposition groups, the Batkivshchyna party, the UDAR party, and the Svoboda union -- Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Vitaly Klitschko, and Oleh Tyahnybok -- circulated an appeal for unity among their supporters. The appeal said, 'We are different but we are united by one demand: President Viktor Yanukovych must sign the association agreement at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius.'

Meantime, Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken out against politicizing Ukraine's decision to put off a deal for closer ties with the European Union, and called on Brussels to refrain from 'harsh' remarks about the suspension.

Putin, who spoke in the Adriatic port of Trieste during a visit to Italy on November 26, said Moscow was concerned about the impact on Russia's economy of closer ties between Ukraine and the 28-member bloc.

'I would kindly ask our friends in Brussels -- my personal friends, good ones in the European Commission -- to refrain from harsh statements,' Putin said. 'Should we kill entire branches of our economy to be loved by them? We do not want any outbreaks of joblessness and shutdown of entire branches of the Russian economy.'

Putin said Ukraine, the EU, and Russia should meet and discuss a way forward after Kyiv suspended moves to sign an Association Agreement with the EU at a summit later this week.

Brussels has accused Moscow of pressuring Ukraine out of the deal.

But Putin denied Russia had strong-armed Ukraine into putting off the signing of the agreement and said, 'The choice of whom to sign a free trade agreement with is Ukraine's sovereign choice and we will respect the decision, whatever it is.'

Putin's remarks contradicted a statement earlier in the day by Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, who said Russia had proposed that Ukraine postpone the deal with the EU.

Azarov said, 'Russia suggested delaying the signing (of the EU agreement) and discussing restoring closer trade relations with Moscow.'

With reporting by Reuters, www.unian.net, Interfax, and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine- protests-eu-yanukovych/25180413.html

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Pro-EU Protests In Ukraine Enter Third Day