It is Moscow versus Brussels in Kiev

Ukraine decides not to sign a deal to strengthen its ties with EU, chooses to strengthen ties with Russia instead.

Following Ukranian President Victor Yanukovych’s decision that Ukraine will not sign a deal to strengthen its ties with the European Union (EU) and will choose, instead, to strengthen its ties with Russia, anti-government protests heightened in Ukraine’s capital Kiev and have recently spread beyond the capital. Several people have been injured as protesters and riot police clashed. The death toll has been high. International condemnation is pouring in.

Protests that initially started off peacefully have turned into a nightmare of violence for both the public and the officials in charge. Ukraine’s protest laws are controversial and do not allow for freedom of speech, hence the uprising of a civil unrest in the country where the people are angry with the action and, in some cases, the inaction of Ukraine’s government.

The demonstrators say that an EU agreement would open borders to trade and set the stage for Ukraine’s modernization and strengthen democracy in the state. The Ukrainian government’s stance is to not sign the agreement made earlier with the EU, which can have a negative impact on the country’s economy. Moreover, it is possible that Russia has a stronghold on Ukraine from old times when the country was a part of the Soviet republic. At this point, Russia deems the protests unlawful and violent whereas the EU views the Ukranian laws that curb protests as a challenge to democracy. According to Russia, the EU is concerned with signing agreements with Ukraine as part of attaining a bigger influence in the region. Clearly, Ukraine is a pawn in the battle between the EU and Russia and should either choose to remain independent or foster an agreement with the EU which will not only strengthen its economy, but will also bring an end to the ongoing violence in the country.

Moreover, both the Ukrainian establishment and Russia should remember that protest is the right of the people.

The familiarity of the situation in Ukraine comes to one immediately. Broken promises from the government, violent protests with several injured, loss of lives during protests, forging ties with countries or blocs that do not benefit the public – it all sounds exactly like Pakistan. At this point in Ukraine, there is no security for journalists covering the protests either – yet another similarity to Pakistan. The situation begs the question: At what point do the governments of these countries choose to stop the violence before they are overthrown? We can but wait and watch.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2014.