Ukrainian Oppos Reject Compromise… Yanukovich Names Loyalist as Chief of Staff

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Ukrainian oppositionists refused to budge overnight Thursday, refusing terms offered by the Ukrainian government during four-hour negotiations seeking a way out of the deepening political crisis in the Ukraine. Tensions remain high in Kiev after days of clashes between police and rioters. At the negotiations, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich proposed to opposition leaders that they halt hostilities; he offered the release of those arrested during the riots in return. He also suggested that he’d soften penalties for those arrested so far in exchange for all rioters leaving Grushevsky Street, the venue of much of the present violence.

In a public show after the talks, the crowd on the Maidan “voted” to reject the terms offered by the authorities. Arseny Yatsenyuk, a leader of the all-Ukrainian Fatherland Front {this group and UDAR are the most obnoxious pro-Western running dogs of the lot: editor}, addressed the crowd, saying, “This is an absolutely peaceful protest. Let’s hold the line, no step backwards. I’m asking everyone for discipline, order, and responsibility”. With temperatures expected to plunge to around -17 degrees (2 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday, one group of protesters occupied the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food building on the Kreshchatik overnight to keep warm. Yatsenyuk said that the opposition would continue talks with the government only if they make real progress. Demands focused on calls for the government’s resignation and early elections. Svoboda chief Oleg Tyagnibok said that negotiations would continue Friday morning. On Thursday, in a phone conversation with Yanukovich, US Vice President Biden emphasised the need for genuine compromise as the only solution to the crisis. The Ukrainian Genprokuratura said that police arrested more than 70 people during the Kiev riots. There are court warrants for the arrest of 36 people, whilst hundreds more remain wanted by police.

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On Friday, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich appointed Secretary of the National Security and Defence of the Ukraine Andrei Klyuyev as Head of the Presidential Administration. Oppositionists slammed Klyuyev’s appointment as a sign of intransigence by the President. Sergei Sobolyov, head of the oppositionist all-Ukrainian Fatherland Front Rada faction, told RIA-Novosti that Klyuyev was most likely being brought in to quell the riots, saying, “I’m sure that the recent events haven’t taught Yanukovich anything, and I believe that Klyuyev remains committed to using force to resolve this developing crisis”. Klyuyev, Yanukovich’s long-time political ally, replaced Sergei Lyovochkin, who resigned unexpectedly last week amidst a broad government shake-up. Lenta.ru suggested that Klyuyev replaced Lyovochkin because the latter didn’t agree to forceful measures to put down riots in central Kiev.

24 January 2014

RIA-Novosti

http://en.ria.ru/world/20140124/186873087/Ukraine-Opposition-Rejects-Government-Terms-Talks-to-Continue.html

http://en.ria.ru/world/20140124/186884541/Long-Time-Yanukovych-Loyalist-Named-Presidential-Chief-of-Staff.html

Editor’s Note:

The “vote” on the Maidan was a complete fraud. No one could vote against it, even if they wanted to. Basically, only extremist fanatics are left on the square. The rest of the country and the rest of Kiev are going about their normal business (save for unrest in perpetually pissed-off Galicia… but that’s “normal” for them, isn’t it?). The news release on Klyuyev’s appointment was six hours after the one on the negotiations, so, it’s clear that Viktor Fyodorovich doesn’t put much hope in their success.

I believe that the only reason he even sat down with the oppo traitors is that Metropolitan Vladimir Sabodan insisted on it, as his “price” for support. Note well that none of the Western “experts” talk of Metropolitan Vladimir. Vladyki Vladimir has Parkinson’s, which means that he looks very frail indeed, but his mind has lost none of its sharp edge (he’s the last surviving protégé of Nikodim Rotov left in high office). President Yanukovich was at the Pecherskaya Lavra on Wednesday, and there’s no doubt that he confabbed with Metropolitan Pavel Lebed, the Superior, who most probably passed on Vladimir Markiyanovich’s stipulations. Klyuyev was also present for the molieben, which means that his appointment was in the works then, and that it has the Church’s blessing.

The oppos are losing strength… they don’t have enough organisation or have adequate means to continue violent confrontation. Viktor Fyodorovich knows this; he’s allowing events to run out of steam naturally. This brings two very good results for him:

• It shows him as a man of restraint; he didn’t immediately call in MVDU internal security brigades and armoured vehicles to crush the revolt
• It shows the weakness of the oppos; it emphasised that they lack the oomph to oust the government… they lack the unity and money to do so

Look for more demonstrators to go back home to Galicia. The West didn’t side with them very strongly, did it? I think that the USA and the EU don’t have any more funds left to invest in this failed putsch. The riots were a last desperate gamble by the oppos to topple Viktor Fyodorovich. Did the oppos’ Western paymasters tell them that there aren’t any more funds forthcoming? Now, that’s an interesting question…

BMD