The crisis started because Yanukovych, the president, who had the opportunity to sign an association agreement with the European Union, preferred to maintain privileged relations with Russia. The opposition took to the streets to protest, because they believed that Ukraine would be better if it entered the UE instead of staying in Russia.
At
first, in November
and December,
the protests
were peaceful,
but in January
things
changed.
The protesters,
called
« self-defense »
groups, confronted
cops in violent riots.
Protesters
have occupied
the parliament
and the opposition has formed
a provisional
government.
In
these riots there has been an incredible amount of dead people. However,
depending on which newspaper or site, the number of deaths is different.
The
website: “Qué” says
there
are 84 dead
and 600 injured.
http://www.que.es/ultimas-noticias/internacionales/201402230814-ucrania-muertos-heridos-desde-martes.html
The New
York Herald speaks about 70 dead and
more than 500 injured.
http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2014/02/20/1684770/ucrania-mas-muertes-por-nuevos.html
Mexico
CNN says there are 100 dead
, but
don’t say anything about the injured
http://mexico.cnn.com/mundo/2014/02/20/ucrania-protestas-muertos-union-europea-yanukovich
Here are some video links of the
riots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h22oHs3eiLg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHAywlBxFFQ
Opinion
Ukraine
has a right to self-determination, without having to be subjected to the interests of Russia.
I don’t think that Russia or USA have legitimacy to intervene militarily in Ukraine but it
is worrying that the country ends up in a civil war
between Pro-Russian and Pro-Europeans.