Pavel Usov: Today’s bloodshed at Maidan can cause actual split of Ukraine

photo by segodnya.ua

This time Kiev events can become a turning point in the history of Ukraine and deprive the country of any chance to peacefully settle the agreement.

Belarusan political scientist has spent the whole day in central Kiev on February 18 and found himself in the very center of events, where demonstrators were fighting against special riot police. During the confrontation at least 25 people died, hundreds of Ukrainians were injured. Berkut, police, anti-terroristic units, “titushki” closed round the last anti-government stronghold.

Pavel Usov told the EuroBelarus Information Service about the current situation at Maidan.

- Who and what did provoke escalation of violence in Kiev?

- Clashes on February 18 started when the demonstrators were trying to break through to Verkhovna Rada, which was going to consider the law on returning back the Constitution of 2004. This breakthrough was meant to exert pressure on Verkhovna Rada so that it introduces law on Constitution 2004 as soon as possible.

The confrontation was lasting for 7 hours. Protesters didn’t have enough resources to break through to Verkhovna Rada, as their forces were dispersed. Whereas security, defence and law enforcement agencies were armed to the teeth with weapons, rubber bullets and tear gas.

Police, “Berkut” were making mass attack at Maidan; special services captured Institutskaya Street, Grushevskogo Street and European Square. Law enforcement agencies cleaned out the territory of protest, leaving the protestors with only the small piece of Maidan, which is now under “Berkut’s” fire.

- Why did Yanukovich start war on demonstrators?

- The authorities made a decision to clean out Maidan so that to end up with the organized protest and start cleaning out democratic space throughout Ukraine.

The question remains, whether it is possible? Today’s bloodshed at Maidan can cause new stage of confrontation and actual split of Ukraine.

- What did embolden Ukrainian regime to forcefully suppress the protest?

- I spent the whole day at Maidan, so all the other events went by me. However, many protestors are saying that Yanukovich used force under the pressure of Kremlin. Perhaps, Yanukovich couldn’t find any other solution. The course of events indicates that Yanukovich didn’t want to make concessions; so forceful suppression of the peaceful protest seemed to be the only acceptable variant for him.

I can say that Yanukovich doesn’t make logical decisions; he acts spontaneously. Today’s decision to suppress peaceful protest can result in a mass death toll.

Bloodshed in Kiev can become a turning point in the history of Ukraine and deprive the country of any chance for peaceful settlement of the agreement.

- Will Maidan survive the night?

- People don’t have real resources to defend Maidan. Maidan consists of people, defending it with their own bodies. Berkut, police, anti-terroristic units, “titushki” exert pressure at the protestors, hoping that people will get scared and break up. Today the two sides throw grenades and Molotov cocktails at each other.