Friday, December 13, 2013

What if Yanukovich Held a Meeting and Then Didn't Listen?

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich made few concessions on Friday in crisis talks with the opposition, his first direct attempt to defuse weeks of unrest over a policy swerve to Russia away from Europe.

The meeting came as protesters streamed into the capital from mainly western regions for a mass rally on Sunday, boosting thousands already camped out on Kiev's Independence Square, focal point of recent demonstrations.

Russia, in the meantime, pointedly demanded that the European Union keep out of Ukrainian affairs.

Yanukovich, yielding to calls from the international community, began round-table talks with the opposition to try to find a way out of the conflict which has put Ukraine at the center of an East-West tug-of-war.

But with the opposition insisting on core demands such as the dismissal of his government, the talks seemed unlikely to head off another outpouring of anger against him on Sunday.

"This round-table was simply a declaration and not a single step was made to meet the opposition. I have the impression that the authorities today did not listen to a single one of the demands of the opposition," said boxing champion-turned-opposition politician Vitaly Klitschko.

Despite talks in Brussels by his government aimed at securing financial aid from the EU for his near-bankrupt country, Yanukovich still appeared on course to go to Moscow on December 17 to tie up a trade agreement which the opposition fears could slam the door on integration with Europe.

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