This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/10/world/europe/ukraine-unrest.html
The article has changed 15 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 13 | Version 14 |
|---|---|
| Ukraine’s Forces Move Against Protesters, Dimming Hopes for Talks | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| KIEV, Ukraine — Ominous new action by Ukraine’s security forces on Monday, including a raid on an opposition party’s headquarters, appeared to diminish prospects for talks between the government and protest leaders, as Western officials grasped for a way to defuse the country’s intensifying political crisis. | KIEV, Ukraine — Ominous new action by Ukraine’s security forces on Monday, including a raid on an opposition party’s headquarters, appeared to diminish prospects for talks between the government and protest leaders, as Western officials grasped for a way to defuse the country’s intensifying political crisis. |
| In a sign of mounting alarm, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and President José Manuel Barroso of the European Commission each called Ukraine’s besieged president, Viktor F. Yanukovich, to warn him against unleashing force on a mass demonstration movement in its third week. Senior envoys, including the European foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, and an assistant secretary of state, Victoria Nuland, were sent in an effort to ease tensions. | In a sign of mounting alarm, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and President José Manuel Barroso of the European Commission each called Ukraine’s besieged president, Viktor F. Yanukovich, to warn him against unleashing force on a mass demonstration movement in its third week. Senior envoys, including the European foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, and an assistant secretary of state, Victoria Nuland, were sent in an effort to ease tensions. |
| The renewed diplomatic maneuvering was intended to prevent a repeat of the bloodshed during a violent crackdown by the police on Nov. 30 and to contain the widening civil uprising, which has plunged this nation of 46 million into deep uncertainty. Caught in a tug of war between European and Russian interests, Ukraine faces a severe economic crisis and is in immediate need of an aid package that is unlikely to materialize while thousands of protesters and riot police officers are massed in the streets. | The renewed diplomatic maneuvering was intended to prevent a repeat of the bloodshed during a violent crackdown by the police on Nov. 30 and to contain the widening civil uprising, which has plunged this nation of 46 million into deep uncertainty. Caught in a tug of war between European and Russian interests, Ukraine faces a severe economic crisis and is in immediate need of an aid package that is unlikely to materialize while thousands of protesters and riot police officers are massed in the streets. |
| In a meeting with senior Kremlin officials in Moscow on Monday, the State Department said, Ms. Nuland “urged Russia to use its influence to press for peace, human dignity and a political solution” and emphasized Ukraine’s need for “a return to economic health with the support of the International Monetary Fund.” | In a meeting with senior Kremlin officials in Moscow on Monday, the State Department said, Ms. Nuland “urged Russia to use its influence to press for peace, human dignity and a political solution” and emphasized Ukraine’s need for “a return to economic health with the support of the International Monetary Fund.” |
| The authorities seemed to lose control of Kiev on Sunday night after a huge rally of hundreds of thousands of people in Independence Square. On Monday, police forces and Interior Ministry troops were redeployed and began efforts to push protesters out of streets near main government buildings, including the presidential headquarters. Battalions of officers moved in and took up positions just outside the square’s perimeters, and by late Monday they had surrounded small encampments of protesters in the governmental quarter of the capital. After midnight, they began clearing those camps and cut off electricity to the occupied City Hall. | The authorities seemed to lose control of Kiev on Sunday night after a huge rally of hundreds of thousands of people in Independence Square. On Monday, police forces and Interior Ministry troops were redeployed and began efforts to push protesters out of streets near main government buildings, including the presidential headquarters. Battalions of officers moved in and took up positions just outside the square’s perimeters, and by late Monday they had surrounded small encampments of protesters in the governmental quarter of the capital. After midnight, they began clearing those camps and cut off electricity to the occupied City Hall. |
| On Monday evening, Ukrainian security forces raided the headquarters of an opposition party, Fatherland, and seized computer servers. | On Monday evening, Ukrainian security forces raided the headquarters of an opposition party, Fatherland, and seized computer servers. |
| The party’s parliamentary leader, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, is one of the main organizers of the protest movement, which ballooned in recent days to dominate the streets of Kiev and pressure Mr. Yanukovich after he refused to sign a political and trade pact with the European Union. Fatherland is best known, however, as the opposition coalition formed by the jailed former prime minister, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, whose release has long been demanded by Western leaders. | The party’s parliamentary leader, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, is one of the main organizers of the protest movement, which ballooned in recent days to dominate the streets of Kiev and pressure Mr. Yanukovich after he refused to sign a political and trade pact with the European Union. Fatherland is best known, however, as the opposition coalition formed by the jailed former prime minister, Yulia V. Tymoshenko, whose release has long been demanded by Western leaders. |
| “They came without any notice, without any explanations, fully armed,” said Natalia Lysova, a spokeswoman for Fatherland. “They broke the door, took all the servers and left.” | “They came without any notice, without any explanations, fully armed,” said Natalia Lysova, a spokeswoman for Fatherland. “They broke the door, took all the servers and left.” |
| A day earlier, the security service, known as the S.B.U., issued a curt statement saying that it had opened an investigation into possible treason charges against unnamed politicians. At a news conference with other protest leaders on Monday, Mr. Yatsenyuk said that he had been summoned for questioning on Tuesday. | A day earlier, the security service, known as the S.B.U., issued a curt statement saying that it had opened an investigation into possible treason charges against unnamed politicians. At a news conference with other protest leaders on Monday, Mr. Yatsenyuk said that he had been summoned for questioning on Tuesday. |
| Just hours before the raid, Mr. Yanukovich signaled that he would accept a proposal by his three predecessors to hold “a national round table for finding a compromise” and that initial discussions would begin Tuesday. | Just hours before the raid, Mr. Yanukovich signaled that he would accept a proposal by his three predecessors to hold “a national round table for finding a compromise” and that initial discussions would begin Tuesday. |
| Any sense that his willingness to negotiate might defuse the crisis was quickly erased. “We saw on the Internet today some statement about the round table,” Mr. Yatsenyuk said. “We would like to start by saying that it is very difficult to fit a round table into a square cell.” | Any sense that his willingness to negotiate might defuse the crisis was quickly erased. “We saw on the Internet today some statement about the round table,” Mr. Yatsenyuk said. “We would like to start by saying that it is very difficult to fit a round table into a square cell.” |
| Western leaders issued a new round of warnings on Monday, more than a week after the violent crackdown on protesters. | Western leaders issued a new round of warnings on Monday, more than a week after the violent crackdown on protesters. |
| White House officials said Mr. Biden had pressed Mr. Yanukovich to ease the crisis immediately and open talks with opposition leaders. Mr. Biden said that “violence has no place in a democratic society and is incompatible with our strategic relationship,” according to a White House summary of the leaders’ phone conversation. | White House officials said Mr. Biden had pressed Mr. Yanukovich to ease the crisis immediately and open talks with opposition leaders. Mr. Biden said that “violence has no place in a democratic society and is incompatible with our strategic relationship,” according to a White House summary of the leaders’ phone conversation. |
| Ms. Ashton, the European Union’s envoy, was expected to arrive Tuesday. She had been deeply involved in efforts to draw Ukraine into closer ties with the union through the trade accord that Mr. Yanukovich abruptly backed away from late last month. | Ms. Ashton, the European Union’s envoy, was expected to arrive Tuesday. She had been deeply involved in efforts to draw Ukraine into closer ties with the union through the trade accord that Mr. Yanukovich abruptly backed away from late last month. |
| That decision to abandon wide-ranging trade and political agreements with the European Union left officials in Brussels deeply frustrated, upending years of efforts to draw Ukraine into Europe’s orbit and away from Russia’s. | That decision to abandon wide-ranging trade and political agreements with the European Union left officials in Brussels deeply frustrated, upending years of efforts to draw Ukraine into Europe’s orbit and away from Russia’s. |
| Warning that “anti-European” voices risk reviving old “demons of Europe, like extreme nationalism, like xenophobia,” Mr. Barroso, the European Commission president, praised Ukrainian protesters for showing that Europe has positive values. | Warning that “anti-European” voices risk reviving old “demons of Europe, like extreme nationalism, like xenophobia,” Mr. Barroso, the European Commission president, praised Ukrainian protesters for showing that Europe has positive values. |
| “If sometimes in Europe some of us have doubts about how important these values are, just look at Ukraine,” he said. “Those young people in the streets of Ukraine, with freezing temperatures, are writing the new narrative for Europe.” | “If sometimes in Europe some of us have doubts about how important these values are, just look at Ukraine,” he said. “Those young people in the streets of Ukraine, with freezing temperatures, are writing the new narrative for Europe.” |
| The security forces’ maneuvering on Monday came amid a driving snowstorm that added a frigid layer of chaos to this churning capital. | The security forces’ maneuvering on Monday came amid a driving snowstorm that added a frigid layer of chaos to this churning capital. |
| The growing protest movement here has largely been driven by a grass-roots coalition of civic organizations and student groups, and many rank-and-file demonstrators are deeply skeptical that organized politicians will be able to deliver the changes they seek. | The growing protest movement here has largely been driven by a grass-roots coalition of civic organizations and student groups, and many rank-and-file demonstrators are deeply skeptical that organized politicians will be able to deliver the changes they seek. |
| Despite the action against Mr. Yatsenyuk’s party, Fatherland, the authorities seemed to be holding back from similar investigations of the other two parliamentary leaders at the forefront of the protests, the champion boxer Vitali Klitschko, of the UDAR party, and Oleg Tyagnibok, of the nationalist Svoboda party. | Despite the action against Mr. Yatsenyuk’s party, Fatherland, the authorities seemed to be holding back from similar investigations of the other two parliamentary leaders at the forefront of the protests, the champion boxer Vitali Klitschko, of the UDAR party, and Oleg Tyagnibok, of the nationalist Svoboda party. |
| Mr. Tyagnibok’s supporters in particular are among the most fearsome demonstrators and have led some of the more provocative efforts to occupy buildings and block government offices. | Mr. Tyagnibok’s supporters in particular are among the most fearsome demonstrators and have led some of the more provocative efforts to occupy buildings and block government offices. |
| At their news conference, the opposition leaders reiterated their demands: the release of demonstrators who were arrested, the punishment of officials responsible for the violence on Nov. 30 and the dismissal of the government. | At their news conference, the opposition leaders reiterated their demands: the release of demonstrators who were arrested, the punishment of officials responsible for the violence on Nov. 30 and the dismissal of the government. |
| Those demands put them at odds with not only Mr. Yanukovich but also Ukraine’s first president, Leonid M. Kravchuk, who was credited by Mr. Yanukovich’s office with pushing the idea of round-table discussions. | Those demands put them at odds with not only Mr. Yanukovich but also Ukraine’s first president, Leonid M. Kravchuk, who was credited by Mr. Yanukovich’s office with pushing the idea of round-table discussions. |
| Mr. Yanukovich’s three predecessors — Mr. Kravchuk, Leonid D. Kuchma and Viktor A. Yushchenko — issued a statement last week calling for the “round table” talks, using the same phrase that described the negotiations that helped resolve the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine. | Mr. Yanukovich’s three predecessors — Mr. Kravchuk, Leonid D. Kuchma and Viktor A. Yushchenko — issued a statement last week calling for the “round table” talks, using the same phrase that described the negotiations that helped resolve the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine. |
| The announcement of possible negotiations was the first glimmer of engagement from Mr. Yanukovich after more than two weeks in which he largely waved off the growing national uproar. | The announcement of possible negotiations was the first glimmer of engagement from Mr. Yanukovich after more than two weeks in which he largely waved off the growing national uproar. |
| Even as Kiev convulsed in anger, he traveled to China on a state visit, then stopped in Russia to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin, further enraging the crowds already furious about the Kremlin’s role in scuttling the accords with Europe. | Even as Kiev convulsed in anger, he traveled to China on a state visit, then stopped in Russia to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin, further enraging the crowds already furious about the Kremlin’s role in scuttling the accords with Europe. |
| On Monday, the Ukrainian authorities shut three subway stations in the city’s center, including the two directly under the main protest site. In a statement, the Interior Ministry said it had acted in response to bomb threats. One station was later reopened. | On Monday, the Ukrainian authorities shut three subway stations in the city’s center, including the two directly under the main protest site. In a statement, the Interior Ministry said it had acted in response to bomb threats. One station was later reopened. |
| But as police buses moved into lines just outside the perimeter of Independence Square, and officers took up new positions, demonstrators were bracing for action. They scrambled to reinforce barricades, moving public benches, wood planks and anything else available to add to the fortifications that have closed off the area for more than a week. | But as police buses moved into lines just outside the perimeter of Independence Square, and officers took up new positions, demonstrators were bracing for action. They scrambled to reinforce barricades, moving public benches, wood planks and anything else available to add to the fortifications that have closed off the area for more than a week. |
Andrew E. Kramer and Oksana Lyachynska contributed reporting from Kiev, and Andrew Higgins from Brussels. | Andrew E. Kramer and Oksana Lyachynska contributed reporting from Kiev, and Andrew Higgins from Brussels. |