Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych gave no ground yesterday to protesters who want Kiev to move closer to the European Union, insisting his government needs to deepen trade ties with Russia instead.
In his first public appearance since meeting Russia’s President Vladimir Putin last Friday, Yanukovych ignored the demands of pro-Europe protesters, hundreds of thousands of whom have taken to the streets in the past two weeks, including thousands camped out round-the-clock in freezing temperatures.
“We cannot talk about the future without talking about restoring trade relations with Russia,” Yanukovych said in televised comments. He added he was also committed to European integration – wording he has often used since his government turned its back on a trade pact with the EU on November 21.
The protesters say Yanukovych and his government must resign. They are maintaining a tented camp in the snowbound capital’s vast Independence Square and occupying public buildings, defying riot police who late on Monday pushed them from some streets.
The crisis has revealed stark divisions in the country of 46 million between those, mainly from the Russian-speaking east, who view Moscow as a source of stability and those who want to join the European mainstream and leave the orbit of the former Soviet master.
In a flurry of diplomacy, US assistant secretary of state Victoria Nuland and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton both flew to Kiev. Nuland met the leaders of three main opposition parties. Ashton expressed concern that one of the parties’ offices was raided by masked police on Monday.
Protesters, particularly those occupying City Hall situated a stone’s throw from Independence Square, say they are braced for police action to eject them.
Police have largely shown restraint since November 30, when they injured scores of demonstrators in clashes. Washington and the EU have urged authorities not to allow police violence.
Dozens of riot police removed barricades leading to the Presidency, Cabinet offices and Parliament overnight but there were no clashes. Protesters regrouped at Independence Square.
Their 24-hour vigil in tents replays a tactic from the “Orange Revolution” in 2004 which successfully overturned a fraudulent election victory by Yanukovych. Ilya Shutov, an ex-miner from the eastern city of Donetsk, said the protesters would stay on the square until Yanukovych left office.
“We were for the EU association agreement because we thought it would force our authorities to be civilised. Their refusal of Europe is a refusal to be civilised,” he said.
Yanukovych, in what was billed as a first step towards solving the crisis through talks involving opposition parties, met three former Ukrainian presidents yesterday. But his televised comments showed no readiness to reverse policy.
Nor did he give any details of last Friday’s talks with Putin, though he said Moscow had agreed to discuss the price Ukraine pays for Russian gas – long a bone of contention.
He spoke dismissively of terms for an International Monetary Fund loan, a sign he is not relying on the West for cash.