Uladzimir Matskevich: Maidan cannot be held forever without clear feasible goals

Clear and feasible demands to the authorities should be formulated for the participants of Euromaidan, so they could stop their protest with realization of fulfilled duty.

Ukraine is undergoing deep political crisis, complicated by economic problems. Viktor Yanukovich can’t get access to the civil society, so he tries to resolve two most complicated problems simultaneously, acting behind the scenes. This is where the explanation of Yanukovich’s inconstancy lies.

Uladzimir Matskevich, the head of the Board of the International Consortium “EuroBelarus” analyzed the latest events in Ukraine.

- Ukraine came to a standstill, trying to understand what has happened in Moscow. Over the last days opposition blames Yanukovich that he gave Ukraine to Russia, Yanukovich tries to justify himself. As obviously, Putin allocated 15 billion dollars and a fantastic discount on gas not for nothing. What assessment can you give to this princely gesture?

- Fascination of Euromaidan and enthusiasm for the determination and principal stance of the protesters Ukraine’s serious economic problems shouldn’t be suppressed.

Yanukovich has to face these economic problems, as it is the president and the government who are to resolve challenges that the country encounters.

With such confrontation of civil society and Ukraine’s government, it is extremely hard for Yanukovich to discuss economic problems and their possible solutions. Dialog with the civil society as represented by Maidan is very complicated; however, the solution can’t be waited for too long. That is why Yanukovich prefers to resolve the problems behind the scenes, meeting with Putin, visiting China and negotiating with the EU.

From the point of view of Maidan many of Yanukovich’s decisions might look as a betrayal of national interests. Maidan’s opinion is lawful and not ungrounded; the loan has to be paid, as well as the discount on gas.

In due time Yanukovich failed the expectations of Russia, and pro-Russian policy was abandoned in Ukraine. Up to November 2013 Ukraine demonstrated its readiness for integration with the EU. Azarov’s government declined to sign the Association Agreement with the EU only due to the unresolved economic problems.

Two processes are going on simultaneously in Ukraine: an attempt to solve economic problems and overcome a political crisis. How can they be harmonized? I see no such solution now. Ukrainian legislation lacks legal grounds to resolve the political crisis: how to organize impeachment, what obligations the president has before the civil society and its demand to dissolve the parliament.

Yanukovich has to be creative to resolve these problems; and creativity is a bad advisor in this case.

- American films usually emphasize that drug addicts get their first fix for free. The question is whether opposition, Euromaidan will allow Yanukovich to use the free fix.

- Yes. Some Ukrainian experts tend to think that the economy of Ukraine is manually controlled. The government resolves local problems and disregards the strategic development of economy. For how long will Russian preferences fill the holes in the Ukrainian economy? It is a temporary measure; others measures might follow after it. If all the problems of Ukrainian economy would be resolved in the same way, the country might lose control over its economy.

- The headquarters of national resistance has decided to hold on up to January 7. Does opposition know what to do next?

- Euromaidan didn’t have clear idea about what results it should achieve from the very beginning. Unfortunately, Ukraine doesn’t have political force, political leader who can set clear and, at the same time, feasible demands to Yanukovich, so that the participants of Euromaidan would stop their protest with realization of fulfilled duty.

Maidan cannot be held forever without clear feasible goals. Today opposition is less prepared than the civil society. But it is up to the civil society to define the political strategy; civil society can only choose from what the opposition suggests.

The participants of Euromaidan have nothing to choose from. Clear and feasible demands to the Ukraine’s authorities have to be formulated.