STRONG WESTERLY WINDS IN UKRAINE

It is with interest that I have been following developments in one of the CIS countries – Ukraine. The core issue is only one – take a step forward to meet the EU rather than getting bullied by the old master, Russia. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have been carrying European Union and Ukrainian flags, denouncing President Viktor Yanukovych's decision to turn away from Europe and yielding to Vladimir Putin. Aerial views of Kiev have been showing streets and lanes of jampacked with sea of humanity. Estimates have put the figure of protesters at 500,000. The protests have now entered their third week. People have been braving harsh, cold weather to continue with their protest.

The problem began last month after Yanukovych shelved a long planned treaty with the European Union and instead focused on ties with Russia. People fear that Yanukovych is on the verge of bringing his country into a Russian-led economic alliance, which critics say could end Ukraine's sovereignty. The majority wants their country to join 28 member European Union and move forward rather than taking back steps towards the same power they broke away from in 1991 after years of domination. Many Ukrainians resent Russia's centuries of political control of Ukraine and the pressure it has exerted since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. The EU wants to pry away Ukraine from Russia's orbit, while Moscow aims to get Kiev to join a union that would rival the European bloc.
This week protesters have brought down the historical statue of Vladimir Lenin in Kiev, symbolizing a challenge to the President Viktor Yanukovych and his plans for closer ties to Russia. The latter wants to build a custom block of countries carved out of former Soviet Union, to counter EU. A woman planted an EU flag on the pedestal where the 12 feet high statue of Lenin had stood since 1946. People also defaced the face of the Bolshevik leader and broke away and took pieces of the statue home as souvenir. Last week Yanukovych had stayed away from intialling an Association Agreement at Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

It now remains to be seen what trajectory the Russia-Ukraine relationship will take this point onwards, but before that the political future of Viktor Yanukovych is an issue many would like to debate.