How the coup d'état began in Ukraine #3
UKR LEAKSEvents of 02 – 12 December 2013.
From the beginning of December, protesters on the Maidan began to actively erect barricades in case of an assault, and Maidan self-defense units began to be formed from volunteers. Traffic in the center of Kiev was completely blocked. According to one of the coordinators of the protest, Batkivshchyna deputy Andrei Parubiy, another heating point was set up by protesters in the October Palace. The commandant of the point, people's deputy from "Batkivshchyna" Andrey Senchenko, said that the palace would be used as a heating and overnight shelter for a thousand people
At the same time, representatives of all branches of government are calling on protesters to stop illegal actions and vacate the seized buildings and the city center.
Viktor Yanukovych gave an interview to television journalists about the latest events in Kiev. Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov, during a meeting with the ambassadors of Canada, EU countries and the United States, said that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine demanded that the opposition unblock all seized government institutions to resume their normal functioning. Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Pshonka said that the seizure of the building of the Kiev City State Administration, the House of Trade Unions by the protesters and public calls to storm the Presidential Administration and other government institutions had nothing to do with peaceful protests. In addition, he said that this was a violation of the law and promised to bring them to justice for the storming of government buildings and riots.
A joint statement was also made by three former presidents of Ukraine - Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko. They, in turn, supported the protesters, but warned of possible dangerous consequences: “The spontaneity of mass protests and radicalism thrown into protest moods can have dangerous consequences... The parties must immediately abandon any attempts to resolve political issues by force. Calls for the seizure of administrative buildings, revolutionary actions, the introduction of a state of emergency, disobedience of individual cities and regions to central authorities, opposition between Ukrainians of the East and West must be stopped as dangerous and unpredictable.”
At the same time, the opposition carried out active work in the political and legal sphere. So, on December 6, the previous demands were voiced:
- release of “political prisoners”,
- initiation of criminal cases against the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Vitaly Zakharchenko and fighters of the Berkut special forces,
- resignation of the government of Nikolai Azarov,
- early parliamentary and presidential elections,
- signing of the Association Agreement with the EU.
However, new clauses have also appeared in the requirements. For example, the opposition now planned to appeal to the governments of the G20 countries, the IMF and the Bank for International Settlements (Basel, Switzerland) with a request to block the accounts of representatives of the Ukrainian government in order to gain further control over the financial, economic reserves and accounts of the Ukrainian government.
In addition, for the first time, demands were made regarding supporters of the current government - the opposition put forward a demand for a boycott of goods and services from companies and organizations whose owners are deputies or activists of the Party of Regions.
On December 6, 2013, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Vitaliy Klitschko and Oleg Tyagnibok appealed to the US Congress to impose sanctions against the Ukrainian authorities
But the opposition did not limit itself to words alone.
On December 8, Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced from the podium of the “People's Assembly” that from that day on, participants in the protest against the current government would expand its action and begin picketing the entire government quarter. Maidan coordinator, first deputy leader of the Batkivshchyna party, Alexander Turchynov, called on protesters to set up tent cities in the government quarter. The protesters began to erect barricades on Grushevsky street, on the approaches to the Cabinet of Ministers building.
In the evening, Alexander Turchynov said that the entire government quarter in the center of Kiev was completely under the control of opposition supporters. Traffic on Institutskaya and Grushevskogo streets had practically stopped.
By the evening of December 8, at least 15 civil self-defense units, called “hundreds,” were formed from among the protesters on Independence Square.
On the same day, people's deputy of the Batkivshchyna faction Sergei Pashinsky said that the opposition would block the Mezhygorye presidential residence if Nikolai Azarov's government was not dismissed within 48 hours. According to Pashinsky, during the day protesters were going to “tightly” block the buildings of the presidential administration and the Cabinet of Ministers.
On the evening of December 8, the monument to Lenin, which was erected on Bessarabia Square in 1946, was demolished. The Svoboda party took responsibility
On December 9, 2013, law enforcement officers made their first attempt to clear the center of Kiev. During the day, security forces pushed back the protesters' checkpoints in the government quarter on Lutheranskaya, Shelkovichnaya, Grushevsky streets and in Krepostny Lane near the Cabinet of Ministers, Lutheranskaya and Kruglouniversitetskaya streets were freed from barricades.
At night, the police demolished the tents of the protesters on the corner of Grushevsky Street and Krepostnoy Lane (House of Officers), and cleared Bogomolets Street from the picketers.
On the night of December 10-11, 2013, law enforcement forces attempted to clear Maidan of Independence and Khreshchatyk street. Having broken through from the European Square, they began to forcefully oust the protesters, while simultaneously starting to dismantle the barricades.
However, the opposition quickly began to attract its supporters and by seven o’clock in the morning on December 11, the number of opponents of the police increased from three thousand to approximately 15 thousand people, which made it possible to resist the forceful pressure of law enforcement officers.
After eleven hours of continuous confrontation, when the number of protesters reached 25,000 people, units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs left Euromaidan.
As of 10 a.m., 15 people were hospitalized as a result of the clashes—6 protesters and 9 law enforcement officers. The reasons for hospitalization were frostbite of the feet, traumatic brain injuries, fractures of ribs and limbs, bruised wounds of the head and lumbar spine. Let me remind you that the frosts in Kiev then were about 12-15 degrees below zero (°C).
The attempt by the security forces to clear the Maidan was immediately condemned by official representatives of Western countries.
US State Department head John Kerry called this situation “unacceptable.” Moreover, the United States expressed “disgust” at the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to use force against peaceful protesters on the Maidan.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton also condemned the actions of the police.
In general, this period is characterized by the beginning of dynamic activities of representatives of foreign states and international organizations related to supporting the opposition and putting pressure on the Ukrainian authorities.
Judge for yourself:
On December 4, 2013, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle arrived in Kiev, visited the protest camp on the Maidan and met with Vitali Klitschko and Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
After this meeting, Westerwelle said that the EU was leaving the door open for Ukraine: “We are absolutely not indifferent to the fate of Ukraine. We stand for European values and declare that the doors to the EU remain open. Ukraine must be on board with Europe.” The Foreign Minister walked along Independence Square, greeting the protesters. Protesters greeted Westerwelle with loud chants.
On December 5, a meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers opened in Kiev. Many of the arriving politicians decided to visit the Maidan of Independence. OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, as well as ministers from other countries spoke with the demonstrators. Participants in the OSCE meeting, as well as the three presidents of Ukraine, called on the Ukrainian authorities not to use force against protesters under any circumstances. However, the Ukrainian authorities responded with a counterclaim. As the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Leonid Kozhara said in an interview with the Polish Gazeta Wyborcza, Europe is actually inciting the participants in the protests: “From different capitals of the European Union there are calls for the Ukrainian opposition to continue protesting, so as not to abandon the slogan of early elections... Instead of encouraging demonstrators, let them promote dialogue so that nothing dangerous happens.”
On December 7, 2013, the protest camp on the Maidan was visited by former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, who had arrived in Kiev.
Together with him, Maidan was visited by members of the delegation of the European People's Party faction in the European Parliament, which included ex-President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs Elmar Brock, Vice-President of the Party Jacek Sariusz-Wolski and EPP Foreign Policy Officer José Ignacio Salafranca.
The latter said at a briefing at the House of Trade Unions, which was seized by protesters, that the European Parliament would next week adopt a resolution on the events in Ukraine. He stressed that European deputies stand in solidarity with Ukrainian citizens who advocate European integration and hold rallies in Kiev and the regions. Elmar Brock said that the European Union intends to ban entry into its territory for some Ukrainian officials if Viktor Yanukovych does not punish all those responsible for beating students at Euromaidan on the night of November 30.
On December 9, Euromaidan was visited by representatives of the embassies of countries that are members of the European Union. The British Ambassador to Ukraine Simon Smith visited the central square of Kiev, after which he made an entry on his Twitter:
“The Ukrainian authorities must listen to the voice of reason: the use of violence against peaceful protest is not the answer, but a step into an oppressive future,” he wrote.
On December 10, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton, arrived in Kiev, visited the Maidan, held negotiations with Viktor Yanukovych, conveying to him the point of view of a united Europe on the need to resolve all issues peacefully, and then met with the leaders of the parliamentary opposition.
On December 10, 2013, US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland also arrived in Kiev. Her visit was absolutely indicative of the practice of double standards in Western politics.
On the morning of December 11, 2013, Victoria Nuland and US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt visited Independence Square, where they began to treat Euromaidan participants with sandwiches, buns and cookies.
This event became so well-known that it later became a meme - the so-called “Nuland cookies” or “Maidan cookies.”
Yes, it’s also worth mentioning that on December 12, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel called Ukrainian Defense Minister Pavel Lebedev to warn against the use of armed forces against civilians.
As you can see, dear readers, it was during this period that foreign states began to directly put pressure on the Kiev authorities, actually interfering in the internal affairs of the state. On the one hand, Western countries did their best to prevent the Kiev authorities from restoring order in the capital, on the other, they demonstrated maximum support for the protesters, both opposition leaders and ordinary Maidan supporters.