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Q&A: Stand-off in Ukraine over EU agreement | Q&A: Stand-off in Ukraine over EU agreement |
(25 days later) | |
Protests has gripped Ukraine since the government rejected a far-reaching accord with the EU in favour of stronger ties with Russia in November 2013. | |
They turned violent on 19 January, and deadly on 22 January. At least two people have been shot dead in the capital, Kiev, where confrontation degenerated into rioting after the government brought in tough new legislation to end mass protests on the main square. | |
How bad is the violence? | |
Two people were shot dead at the site of the Kiev protest camp on Independence Square on 22 January, after three nights of rioting. | |
The scenes late on 19 January were some of the worst in nearly two months of demonstrations, with protesters torching several police buses and other vehicles, while police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon. | |
Hundreds of protesters and nearly 170 police officers had reportedly been injured as of 22 January. | |
Some blamed a little-known nationalist group, Right Sector, for initiating the clashes, which followed a mass rally by peaceful demonstrators in protest at the new security laws. | |
What caused the protests? | What caused the protests? |
The new laws, certainly raised passions among the protesters, prescribing jail terms for anyone blockading public buildings and banning the wearing of masks or helmets at demonstrations. | |
But the trigger for the protests was President Viktor Yanukovych's decision not to sign a major partnership deal with the EU, despite years of negotiations aimed at integrating Ukraine with the 28-nation bloc. | |
Thousands of pro-EU Ukrainians poured on to the streets of the capital, urging President Yanukovych to cancel his U-turn and go ahead with the EU deal after all. He refused, and the protests continued. | |
When riot police first took action on 30 November, the images of them breaking up a student protest and leaving dozens of people injured only fuelled anger with the president and boosted the crowds in Independence Square. | |
The authorities sought to defuse the anger through measures such as the suspension of the mayor of Kiev and release of detainees. | The authorities sought to defuse the anger through measures such as the suspension of the mayor of Kiev and release of detainees. |
On 17 December, Russia and Ukraine announced a major deal under which Russia would buy $15bn-worth (£9.2bn; 10.9bn euros) of Ukrainian government bonds and slash the price of Russian gas sold to Ukraine. | On 17 December, Russia and Ukraine announced a major deal under which Russia would buy $15bn-worth (£9.2bn; 10.9bn euros) of Ukrainian government bonds and slash the price of Russian gas sold to Ukraine. |
The deal appeared to take the wind out of the sails of the protest movement but when a pro-opposition journalist, Tetyana Chornovol, was beaten up by unknown assailants on 25 December, there was an outcry. | |
The new laws were then passed on 16 January and came into force on 22 January. | |
Who are the protesters? | Who are the protesters? |
The protesters are mainly from the Kiev area and western Ukraine, where there is a greater affinity with the EU, rather than in the Russian-speaking east and south - though they include eastern Ukrainians too. | |
Vitali Klitschko, the former world heavyweight boxing champion and leader of the Udar (Punch) movement, has been a prominent demonstrator. He is very pro-EU and plans to run for president in 2015. | |
Arseniy Yatsenyuk, parliamentary leader of the country's second biggest party, Fatherland, is an ally of former PM Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister now in prison. | |
The far-right group Svoboda (Freedom) is also involved. Led by Oleh Tyahnybok (pictured second from left), it stirred unease on New Year's Day with a torch-lit procession through Kiev. | |
Other radical right-wingers include Bratstvo (Brotherhood) and Right Sector. | |
How has the West reacted? | How has the West reacted? |
The US embassy in Kiev revoked the visas of "several Ukrainians who were linked to the violence" after the deaths on 22 January. | |
EU leaders expressed shock at the deaths and called on all sides to halt the violence. Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the EU Commission, warned that the EU's relationship with Ukraine might have to be reviewed. | |
The EU's official position on the agreement abandoned in November is that the door remains open for Ukraine to sign but it has put any new negotiations on hold until there is a clear commitment to do so. | |
Both the EU and US have condemned the tough new anti-protest laws, saying they are incompatible with Ukrainians' democratic aspirations. | |
Is Russia pulling the strings in Kiev? | Is Russia pulling the strings in Kiev? |
To many observers, the deal struck between Russia and Ukraine on 17 December points to a carrot-and-stick approach by the Kremlin. | |
The 2004 Orange Revolution led to Mr Yanukovych's removal from power after his election was judged to have been fraudulent. Russia backed him then - and backs him now. | |
For centuries Ukraine was controlled by Moscow and many Russians see Ukraine as vital to Russian interests. | For centuries Ukraine was controlled by Moscow and many Russians see Ukraine as vital to Russian interests. |
After the riots erupted on 19 January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the protests were "getting out of control", and accused European politicians of stirring up the trouble. | |
What happens next? | |
Mr Yanukovych, who was democratically elected in 2010, still has a strong support base in eastern and southern Ukraine, and there have been street demonstrations by his supporters. | |
He has set up a special commission to meet opposition representatives but it is unclear whether this will be enough to prevent the violence escalating. | |
Meanwhile, the opposition are still struggling to find a leader around whom they can unite. |