This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
Ukraine President Flees Kiev After "Coup D'Etat" As Protesters Storm Presidential Palace, Plunder Gold; Army On Hold
It has been a busy night in the Ukraine.
First, the newly-installed interior minister declared that the police were now behind the protesters they had fought for days, giving central Kiev the look of a war zone with 77 people killed, while central authority crumbled in western Ukraine. Then despite yesterday's latest anti-crisis "agreement" which we said would last at best hours, the protesters continued their pressure against embattled president Yanukovich, demanding his outright and unconditional resignation, leading to his fleeing Kiev by airplane overnight to the far more pro-Russian city of Kharkiv located in the Eastern Ukraine, even as his arch rival, Yulia Tymoshenko, who is held in prison in the same city, was rumored to have been released on her way to the far more anti-Russian city of Kiev - it turns out those rumors have so far been incorrect.
Then there was a plethora of rumors that he has or is about to either escape the country and/or resign, sparking celebrations in Kiev, only for him to appear on TV subsequently and not only deny a resignation is coming, but that he accused the current leaders in Kiev of staging a coup d'etat and that all parliamentary decisions today have been illegitimate, saying "I did all I could to avoid bloodshed" while comparing recent events in the Ukraine to the "Fascist Revolution" in Germany. This was promptly rebutted by the Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski who tweeted there is no coup in Kiev and President Viktor Yanukovych has 24 hours to sign re-adopted 2004 constitution into law.
The just released interview is below:
Most importantly, all of this is happening as governors, and regional legislators in eastern Ukraine question authority of national parliament. Meanwhile over in the "western" Kiev, Parliament members of the opposition began laying the groundwork for a change in leadership, electing Oleksander Turchynov, an ally of the imprisoned opposition leader and former prime minister, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, as speaker. And Mr. Klitschko called for new elections to replace Mr. Yanukovych by May 25. “Millions of Ukrainians see only one choice — early presidential and parliamentary elections,” he tweeted.
The NYT reports:
Members of an opposition group from Lviv called the 31st Hundred — carrying clubs and some of them wearing masks — were in control of the entryways to the palace Saturday morning. And Vitali Klitschko, one of three opposition leaders who signed the deal to end the violence, said that Mr. Yanukovych had “left the capital” but his whereabouts were unknown, with members of the opposition speculating that he had gone to Kharkiv, in the northeast part of Ukraine.
Protesters claimed to have established control over Kiev. By Saturday morning they had secured key intersections of the city and the government district of the capital, which police officers had fled, leaving behind burned military trucks, mattresses and heaps of garbage at the positions they had occupied for months.
All of this is pointing to a national schism between the pro-Russian east, and its new de facto capital, Kharkiv, and the western part of the nation, where the EU (and CIA) influences are strongest. Luckily, for now there won't be a military involvement:
- UKRAINE DEFENSE MIN: ARMY WON'T BE INVOLVED IN GOVT CONFLICT
... for now.This will likely change: moments ago Russia's Foreign Minister said Ukraine's opposition is led by "armed extremists" and their actions pose direct threat to Ukraine's sovereignty, which means a Russian involvement in some capacity is imminent.
Perhaps more important was the following statement:
- UKRAINE TO ENSURE SMOOTH NATGAS TRANSIT TO EU, DEP PREMIER SAYS
That would the Russian gas which traverses the country, which can be halted with the turn of a spigot.
Bottom line, the situation is fluid, and is increasingly bordering on an all too real threat of civil war between the country's linguistically and affiliation-divided west and east.
The one thing that is clear is that the former presidential compound is now in the power of the people. From CBS.
The protesters, who are angry over corruption and want Ukraine to move toward Europe rather than Russia, claimed full control of Kiev and took up positions around the president's office and a grandiose residential compound believed to be his, though he never acknowledged it.
At the sprawling suburban Kiev compound, protesters stood guard and blocked more radical elements among them from entering the building, fearing unrest. Moderate protesters have sought to prevent their comrades from looting or taking up the weapons that have filled Kiev in recent weeks.
The compound became an emblem of the secrecy and arrogance that defines Yanukovych's presidency, painting him as a leader who basks in splendor while his country's economy suffers and his opponents are jailed. An AP journalist visiting the grounds Saturday saw manicured lawns, a pond, several luxurious houses and the big mansion itself, an elaborate confection of five stories with marble columns.
Protesters attached a Ukrainian flag to a lamppost at the compound, shouting: "Glory to Ukraine!"
A group of protesters in helmets and shields stood guard at the president's office Saturday. No police were in sight.
Which brings us to the most interesting finding of the day: what has so far been plundered from the palace:
Inside Yanukovych's private residence
Pictures emerging from the president's private residence in the outskirts of Kyiv after protesters stormed the building.
"It's just like being in Monaco" - man on phone next to me at Yanukovich's residence outside Kiev pic.twitter.com/FZfU6xNHIp
— Emma Wells (@Emmawells1) February 22, 2014
Pictures from Yanukovych's Mezhygirya. There's excursion for everybody now via @rastych #Euromaidan #?????????? pic.twitter.com/jR0g4CU0ZO
— Vitalii Sediuk (@VitaliiSediuk) February 22, 2014
Protesters with an "euromaidan" flag at Yanukovych's balcony.
???????? ?????? ?????????? ?? @EvgenyFeldman http://t.co/4d16hQgFxn #?????????? #?????????? #Euromaidan pic.twitter.com/dgoDW3epjw
— ?????????? (@euromaidan) February 22, 2014
???????'?. ?????. ????? ?? ????????. ????????????? ??????? pic.twitter.com/yFdq9BpYJx
— ????? ??? (@MichaelShchur) February 22, 2014
And as usually happens, the plundering has revealed numerous golden coins discovered in Yanukovych's garage and a 1 kg gold coin with the president's portrait.
?? ? ?? (?? ?? ?????????) ?????? ? ????????? ?????? ? ?????? ? ???????'? pic.twitter.com/KExRR96pOR
— ????? ??? (@MichaelShchur) February 22, 2014
?? ?? ??????? ? ?????? ? ???????'?. ??????? ?????????. 1 ?? ?????? pic.twitter.com/iQ9hwFxYtf
— ????? ??? (@MichaelShchur) February 22, 2014
Finally, for the blow by blow, or rather tweet by tweet of events in the past 24 hours, we go to Euronews which has done the best job of summairizing the constatntly changing situation:
Yanukovych on TV: "I'm not leaving the country"
On an interview broadcast minutes ago on ukrainian TV UBR, and recorded at 12h30, president Yanukovych refuses to resign saying "we've taken all the steps to stabilize the country, we voted an amnesty law and organised early elections". The president that fled Kyiv to go to Kharkiv also says, "I'm trying to protect people from bandits". Yanukovitch compares also Ukraine now to Nazi Germany in the 30s. In the interview, the president assures that he's not leaving the country. He also denounced on Saturday what he described as a "coup d'etat". "The events witnessed by our country and the whole world are an example of a coup d'etat," he was quoted as saying.
Opposition leader Petro Poroshenko says Yanukovych has changed his mind about his earlier decision to resign http://t.co/wFQdXhHY4G
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) February 22, 2014
Yatseniuk says he spoke with Yanik and confirms he has resigned #euromaidan
— bruce springnote (@BSpringnote) February 22, 2014
Yanukovych resignation to be read soon at the parliament
Euronews' correspondents in Kyiv report that the statement should be read at the parliament in the next minutes.
Arsenyi Yatseniuk, opposition leader in Ukraine, wants Yanukovych investigated re protest deaths #Kyiv pic.twitter.com/nDhamn079r
— Paul Waldie (@pwaldieGLOBE) February 22, 2014
Waiting for the release of jailed former Prime-Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Conflicting reports that she was already freed from Kharkiv jail.
Took this picture about 1,5 years ago. Tonight #Timoshenko expected on #Euromaidan #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/VLtnjY5Nn3
— MareikeAden (@MareikeAden) February 22, 2014
Tymoshenko daughter speaks to Kyiv Post at parliament, says releasing her mom won't be easy
»
- 36799 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
Right on, dude!
The White House has "manicured lawns" and "marble columns" etc.
Might even have "four stories", who knows?
It's also got a fence which makes it a "compound" all right.
I guess Gadaffi, Osama, Saddam et al could have kicked back in that style, no probs.
"grandiose residential compound" - CBS...
I take it the administration has approved of this description before it was allowed to be "reported"?
(Reuters) - Leaders of mainly Russian-speaking regions of eastern Ukraine that are loyal to President Viktor Yanukovich challenged the legitimacy of the national parliament on Saturday and said they were taking control of their territories.
- http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/02/22/ukraine-crisis-regions-idINDEEA...
then again, there is a lot of entropy in this system.
Its really a no win situation. The EU/US gets what they want the Ukraine suffers. The russians get what they want, the Ukraine suffers and will be mercilessly attacked from the shadows until the US gets what it wants.
its a bad time to be "people" because really there is no good anymore. Perhaps there never really was.
The shadows you mention don's stand a chance in the face of old fashioned FSB/KGB/GPU/NKVD methods which the KGB guy is so familiar with and eager to apply. At some point all these shady NGOs that use the premise of democracy and freedom in order to undermine them in the worst possible manner will be slapped down hard.
Keep dreaming. The only thing that EVER gets slapped down hard is good people.
We dont deserve this planet and i wont feel sorry when we have it taken away from us.
we, the people, are always the disposable pawns, everywhere, everytime.
Milk cows, until they become beef cows.
It is a no win situation for the Ukraine citizens and US citizens. How many more roads are we going to have to dig up because we cannot afford to pave them to install the US puppet Yatsenyuk as president? Got to offset those costs.
It's a good time to be a google robot.
MSM can't spin these pictures......Bullish Gold.
Fat chance you'll see Stephanopolous and his phony bunch on GMA giggling over them like all the other stupid shit they giggle over.
Even Tyler can't manage to paint Putin as anything except a ham fisted thug, and Nmewn is trying to change the subject.
Ha!
I thought the subject was tyranical governments and the ongoing revolutions (hot & cold) against them.
And Putin is a fucking thug (apparently not racist in this context)...he's former KGB who is amassing a fortune for himself & his former Soviet cronies at his own peoples expense.
Putins net worth is north of 40 billion...with a B...you moron.
I can hear those Russian BTR and T-90s engines turning over yesterday.
It will be a little interesting to see what comes through Belarus.
Anyone can zip across the southern frontier to flower waving MILFs on the roadside.
Do the Russians get safe passage through Belarus, and drive to Kiev west of the Dnieper?
All of this because some CFR wonk told George Clooney to wear a "Free Yulia" t-shirt.
The hair braid that launched WW5.
You can't make this stuff up.
Not likely, but...
T72 and older worked well enough 08/08/08
"That Was No Small War in Georgia" Mark Ames Radar Magazine
"prepare for defense in depth."
Ukraine has an Army.
Open up public services in Kiev and start having your forces fan out through the Countryside.
Get a Judge to start issuing arrest warrants for "subversive elements" (anyone speaking Russian basically) and have your Government recognized as the sole legitimate legal authority over "Ukraine" with all rights granted under said Constitution therein.
Call for "volunteers" to defend the homeland worldwide and declare your intent to see "Belarus freed" as well.
ignorant post..
especially the part about "anyone speaking Russian"
Most of productive economy of Ukraine is communicated in Russian.
Things are happening too fast now. The Parliament just voted for presidential elections to be held on May, 25th. That's not good, as more time is needed to prepare new constitution. So, they are going to have presidential elections at the end of May, and one more presidential elections after new constitution is adopted. In the meantime, I guess no one is going to give Ukraine any financial aid. As for Yanukovich, had he stayed in Kiev, maybe things wouldn't be developing so fast. I know his life was on stake if he stayed, but nevertheless, if you want to be president, you should be prepared to face situations like these.
Maybe Eastern Ukraine realizes that a Russian punch in the face is better than a EU mule up the ass!
West Ukraine will Syria themselves and we of the East shall watch...
That's how to get things done! Corrupt politicians around the world must be watching on in horror haha.
I doubt it. Can you see Americans storming anything?
... a Walmart on Black Friday.
oh great this is what the west supports, stealing the man's personal property? Wonder what obama has any gold?
I suppose we all support freedom for Quebec, Northeran Ireland, Scotland, Northern Spain, Texas, but never Palestine.
Funny how Syrians, ukrainians and libyians are freedom fighters, fighting with US ideals and bravery, but Palestinians, they are terrorists.
How do you know it was stolen and not placed under guard as evidence of theft by "the man"? We could wait and see what they do with it or we can arbitarily jump to conclusions. I guess jumping to conclusions now is easier for you.
We generally don't support "freedom" for people who intentionally blow up civilians. War is a reality. You can't just banish it or outlaw it. It is also a real messy reality. Civilians do get killed. In war it is a crime to intentionally kill civilians. We can accept that civilians will die in a war. We cannot accept that civilians are targeted intentionally. Quebec, Scotland, and Texas seem to pass that test. The others do not.
Some of us have standards - we aren't all blinded by demagoguery.
The local puppet in the region - neo ottoman turkey - has been quiet lately. I'm thinking they'll inflict themselves northward into the Crimean peninsula at the behest of their western advisors ( masters ) once Russia seems to be occupied with Ukraine, et al. That, I think, is what will plunge the area into the kind of chaos that Russian thermobaric bombs will be needed to settle ...
Looks like the celebration for the Womens 4 X 6 Biathlon Gold Medal got out of hand...
"Don't you guys know by now? I GOT this!"
/sigh
- Janet
Dude had a kilo gold bar with his fucking face on it. Did he work his ass off to earn this? The palace looks like this guy was trying to live Versailles style within the confines of his exploits from the Ukrainian people.
Thumbs down. Hang him if you can find him.
http://www.nwtmint.com/
Anyone can get a custom made gold coin with their face on it. 1Kg of gold will cost you about $40k.
This is peanuts to almost every "democratic representative" on the planet.
Every Canadian MP steals this kind of money from the collection plate. The Eastern traditional dictators simply prefer gold to weekly cottage parties and trips to the South.
There are people closer to home whom you should hang first.
The fact is you cant do a thing about that when you possiby can, but rave over something else, somewhere else, where you have no say.
One look at his house and you can tell he is a fucking crook.
Edit: Timoshenko is also a crook.
What?... Yanukovych didn't have any bitcoins to plunder? -lol
No, he had GOLD. Take notes you fonestar idiot.
Gold is money... gold has value all over the world... the best of the best. That will never change.
He HAD gold "but lost it in a fleeing accident."
I'm going to try and explain the best way I know how to the general population outside on the western front. Almost EVERYONE in Ukraine is involved in some illegal activity in one way or another. It doesn't work the you would imagine it like the west. It works in the way of "levels". In government, they're ALL corrupt. Just as long as you don't interfere in my corruption, we're fine. The mafias come in all different shapes and sizes. And for most of the time, they all know their place. That is, until someone throws a monkey-wrench into the mix. This is where the CIA steps in...
Agree..mostly
Yo russki commenters, answer this:
What is your master Russia going to do with all that gas if Ukraina (or part of it) shuts down the pipes? What's that gas worth now?
VD/Volkodav/Sasha, awaiting your valuable input...
Sit back and watch the Europeans freeze and their economy collapse? Not give a damn because their main market is in fact in Asia? Russia can go on for quite a while without EU gas exports, as has been demonstrated by repeated Russian threats to cut off gas supplies to Europe. BTW it's Mother Russia not master Russia.
Of course it is "Mother Russia"! To you, maybe, but that's your issue.
Do you have any idea how long it will take to build a major pipeline to Asia? Do you know of any major pipelines transporting gas from Russia to China now? Or were you just too eager to answer?
I'd bet on Russia engulfed in civil war after the gas money stops, rather than Europe freezing and "collapsing".
china and india will take it is the answer to that.
lol, they'd better have good buckets, and loads of them.
Or are the Russians going to send the gas using wireless technology?
Russia needs Europe now more than Europe needs Russia. Hence the reason for Yanukovich not being welcomed in Russia. As long as the pipes are safe and flowing, Putin won't derust the red army relics.
You are a dumbass. Putin and the Russians are not stupid. They have two other ways to get gas to Europe besides through the Ukraine.
They can go through the Balkans and into northern Italy and Austria.
http://www.gazprom.com/f/posts/44/270918/southern-corridor-2-en.jpg
Or they can go undersea from Greece to Southern Italy.
Everyone of those countries gets some money from Russia and Gazprom for these pipelines.
No, you are a dumbass and an ignorant. The link you gave shows the options for a future pipeline. It takes years and lots of money to build. Meanwhile Russia will have ZERO revenue if the gas stops flowing through Ukraine.
It's easier to open your mouth and just spill out the overflowing Putin love you got...
Better Q is how is others going to do without?
Russians are quiite resourceful and get by on much less than spoiled ones at other end...
Maybe US can run a long hose from the rapidly depletion Bakken, etc?
Better worry about your own country.
V-shill, try again, this time using real arguments. What are your masters going to do if Ukraine stops the gas flow? Anything could happen: "terrorists" attack the pipelines, Ukraine not being able to manage the pipes for a while, Ukraine rasing the fees for gas transit.
Yes, Russians are quite resourceful when it comes to steal from other countries, when it comes to invade other countries (in order to protect, of course). Other than that, if energy prices go down, they are screwed. Having all that gas doesn't matter so much if you can't sell it now, does it?
did the Ukraine just split in two? Yanukovych fled to the east for a reason and has refused to resign...yet the parliament just passed legislation mandating new elections as of may, not over the summer as the original agreement stated. It also appears the national government (such as it is ) is going to simply try to ignore Yanukovych now that he has left the capital.
it appears the opposition never had any intention of sticking to the conditions of the original agreement, or perhaps it is that they are two fragmented and disorganized to present a unified front capable of living up to international agreements. in any case, it's clear the transition of power happening now in Kiev is in compete disarray and likely to be the cause of more conflict, more violence and more chaos in the near future.
perhaps the most dangerous aspect of recent events is that Kiev has completely lost control over the armed forces, the statement issued earlier by the commander of the military was clearly one of independence from any type of civilian or government oversight during this conflict. so if the country does fragment, east vs west, who's side would the military take? maybe nobody's, an ambitious enough group of generals and officers may see this as an opportunity to seize power under the pretense of restoring order and protecting the public should conflict arise among the various opposition groups and a stable national government not materialize in short order.
then there is Russia, if Kiev goes full pro west will Moscow make a play on preserving it's control over Crimea? Sevastopol is obviously of great strategic importance to the motherland and I'm not sure Moscow could afford halving it fall into the hands of a western, nato friendly government.
I see a lot of possible twists and turns as this plays out and it will be very interesting to see what happens going forward. the riots may have settled for the moment but I have a feeling the battle for the future of the Ukraine is really just getting started.
you have to get Kiev "up and running."
The Mayor is the de facto leader of the resistance now.
All military and interior ministry forces will be ordered out of the City by order of him.
Next up start paying the local police and get the trains running on time.
After that start setting up the City as a supply depot for "activities point east." If I works the population of the City will swell...perhaps significantly so.
Why is it govt elites are all fiat lovers in public but in reality 'closet stackers'?
'What? The gold is gone?' Sound of the CIA, er protest leaders, leaving the country. What good is a plunder if there's no gold?
Who is Arsenyi Yatseniuk?
Already had a new gold currency minted? Interesting.
Ukrainians did what Americans are going to have to do. The people are the real government, the politicians who are just our employees. The oathbreakers are the real anti-government extremist traitors.
Corrupt, lawless, increasingly dictatorial Ukrainian president was shamed and run out of town before he was hanged in the town square for murdering citizens. The people are always the ultimate sovereign authority in a democratic republic and it is their right and absolute duty to defend it against such usurpers who have subverted all instututions against the people. This is why citizens should never allow themselves to be disarmed. Molon Labe.
I hope the lawless US judges, DHS, and other agencies complicit in the increasingly lawless US regime take a good look at what happened in Kiev. The assasination of the Ukrainian judge that convicted opposition dissidents was an act of self defense by the people against the institutional violence being perpetrated against them. Oathbreakers are the real anti-government traitors.
@gwar5 - I agree with your sentiments, however, the judges, DHS and other agencies are only tools of the true enemy of the people, not only in America but in every country where central banking exists. The true enemy are the oligarchs behind the IMF, the bankers of the world, the Rothschilds and their kind. Unless the true enemy is neutralized, the oligarchs will just replace one puppet regime with another to get their work done. Until the people learn who their true enemy is, any uprising, revolution or civil war is an obscene waste of life.
That took 18 hours for the East to have one president and the West to have another, with Parliament now 'de-legitimate'.
Country is well on its way to being split in two along the Dneiper.
Whilst it is assumed that Russian Speaking=Putin Supporters, it's not that simple. Many Russian Speakers want to have a free Ukraine. Many want to align with Russia.
It's a mess, many will die, and civil war is all but inevitable as the country splits in two.
Does anyone seriously think this could happen in the USA?
I have a dream!
I'd like to pretend I know what will happen in Ukraine, if for no other reason than to piss off everyone who thinks they know what will happen.
But I don't and neither do they.
One thing I'm certain is that, one way or another, Russia Naval bases will remain in the Crimea and Black Sea.
Period.
It seems that the people of ZH are quite divided on this one.
For the Ukranians all outcomes will be bad outcomes.
Molon casa
http://rt.com/on-air/
are those black swans in the pond in the mansion pictures? Seems black swans do really come in black? This makes the outcome of the Olympic hockey games seem a bit frivilous don't you think? I watched some of the liveleaks coverage of the sniper victims being slaughtered and would like to remind anyone who wishes for revolution here in USA to take a look. We are being ruled and reigned over here by a corrupt police state but we need to be careful what we wish for. Without organization brining a metal shield to a gun fight is never wise. Hold on to your guns as we may need them.
wrong post
Make EVERY cop resign. They are TRAITORS, every one of them. Don't accept these traitors, shun them. They work for money and power, they're motives are exposed. they have no loyalty but to money alone. Get RID of them and arm the people. Cops represent agents for the state to commit violence on the people.
Won't people turned into cops start acting like the old ones after a while?
new cops ... same as the old cops
This is not the gold you are looking for.
Looks to me like gifts the prez. would hand out at occasions. It's customary to do so over there. Our reps used to give a big precious sone to Soviet government dudes.