By Brett Daniel Shehadey
Special Contributor for In Homeland Security
Today, near riot conditions and violent aggression between Ukrainian authorities and demonstrators in the nation’s capital came to a close, for now. A political peace agreement was made between Ukrainian political leaders and Opposition today through the mediation efforts of EU member states and a few threats of economic sanctions out in the open air.
A reduction in presidential powers and early elections were a win for Europeans who spearheaded a strong mediation delegation between the contending parties of government and protestors. The Russian delegation, under Russian Human Rights Commissioner and Ombudsmen to the Russian Duma Foreign Affairs Committee, Vladimir Lukin, did not sign the peace accord; much to the disappointment of German, Polish and French mediators.
It should be noted that Russian Ombudsmen Vladimir Lukin was involved until the very end of the signing ceremony, which he did not attend after speaking with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Caution from both sides- Ukrainian government authorities and opposition demonstrators- is warranted. Neither side trusts the other and at best, they have worked out a ceasefire that strips some authority from an pro-Russian authoritarian climbing leader, Viktor Yanukovych, who was removed from the fraudulent voting and a victory nullified by the Supreme Court during the Orange Revolution in 2004. He later was elected President in 2010 after beating Yulia Tymoshenko in a run-off.
President Yanukovcyh was guiding Ukraine to the West for much of 2013 until he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an eight hour session. Protests have been on-going since his refusal to sign for closer ties with the EU integration in November. Part of that deal was also to secure funding from the IMF and much needed trade deal. Russia counter-offered loans after integrating Ukraine into an exclusive partnership zone.
Before this sudden turn of direction toward Moscow, Yanukovych’s policy of “controlled democracy” was internally building momentum against him as he ruthlessly targeted his political opposition. Since November, over a hundred people have been killed and hundreds wounded. Ukraine continues to be the rope that is pulled by the EU and the Russians and somewhere in-between wants an independent Ukraine altogether.
Part of the peace deal with the Ukrainian government is that the protestors relinquish any weapons, withdraw from captured buildings and take down and leave their camps. This is a problem because many in Kiev’s Independence Square do not want to leave willingly; even after this deal until President Yanukovych is gone and new leadership is put in place. The next strongest demand was to sign the EU association agreement. The plus side for them is that there is no deadline to abandon their camps and they will wait it out until the elections.
In return the political opposition and pro-Western activists receive the following concessions:
Amnesty for protestors.
A new government within ten days that will include opposition leaders.
Presidential powers reverted back to the 2004 constitution, balancing power between the Parliament and the President.
Additional constitutional reform finished by September.
The highly controversial interior minister, Vitali Zakharchenko, removed by Parliament.
Yulia Tymoshenko was given a brake too. Delegislation passed through Parliament for which she was imprisoned. In effect, this should mean that she is no longer guilty of breaking any laws as the counts she had been arrested on are no longer legal violations and have been removed. Technically she should be freed from prison as a next step.
Tymoshenko was founder of the pro-Ukrainian Fatherland Party and held the post of Prime Minister for 2 years until she was imprisoned [selectively] in 2011 by President Yanukovych.
Overall, this was a good example of a united effort to spare Ukraine from further violence and offer them back some of their dignity to be a sovereign state again.
Now the ball is again in Russia’s court.
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