Over the past few months the world has witnessed a clash
of protesters and police in Ukraine over President Viktor Yanukovych and the current government’s
decision to not sign a trade agreement with the European Union. The Euromaiden
demonstrations have become strikingly reminiscent of those from the Greek
Troika protests or the Arab Spring uprising. The protests that have transpired around
Kiev and the rest of the country have attracted international attention and
have caused a rising list of casualties.
It is worth noting that the debate over alignment began long
before the Euromaiden demonstrations began in November 2013. The alignment
divide has given birth to numerous political tensions. A number of fist fights have erupted on the floor of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament). Former Ukrainian Prime
Minister and Orange Revolution organizer Yulia Tymoshenko has been jailed since
Yanukovych has become president of the country. Tymoshenko has called
her imprisonment a political move by Yanukovych. Part of the reason the
Euromaiden erupted was Yanukovych’s refusal to allow Tymoshenko to seek medical
treatment in Germany.
The media has predominantly depicted a country where the
people are against Yanukovych and his ploy to stay closely aligned to Russia.
While this may be the case in the areas surrounding the Ukrainian capital of
Kiev, Ukraine is a country deeply divided over the question of alignment. The
eastern oblasts (states) of Ukraine preeminently speak Russian and have ethnic
ties to Russia. These oblasts wish to align with Russia due to their ethnic
roots. The western and central oblasts of Ukraine predominantly speak Ukrainian
and are hoping that the country pursues a pro-west alignment with eventual
entry into the European Union.
I think it is worth
noting that should Yanukovych and the current government resign, disagreement
over the country’s alignment will still persist. Signing of the European Union
trade agreement would most likely not solve the alignment tensions that Ukraine is currently experiencing. One thing is clear; Yanukovych and the current government face
a tough road ahead.
The European Union is expanding east and realized that first
appropriate step for Ukraine to become a member state would be a trade
agreement. Croatia’s entry into the European Union last July and Serbia’s
opening of ascension negotiations illustrate the growing expansion push into
Eastern Europe. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin has
reportedly met with Yanukovych and urged him not to sign the European Union
trade agreement if Ukraine wants Russia to remain a trading partner. In the
next few years, Ukraine will ultimately have to decide its alignment as the
European Union will most likely be on its eastern door step. The Euromaiden demonstrations
that Ukraine is currently experiencing paint a picture of a former Soviet
socialist state desperately trying to find its place in the modern world.
