Ukraine’s Leader Flees Palace as Protesters Widen Control

nytimes ^ | FEB. 22, 2014 | By ANDREW HIGGINS and ANDREW E. KRAMER 4:33 AM ET

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

KIEV, Ukraine — An opposition unit took control of the presidential palace outside Kiev on Saturday, as leaders in Parliament said Ukraine’s president, Viktor F. Yanukovych, had fled the capital a day after a deal was reached aimed at ending the country’s spiral of violence.

[crosslink]

It has started the eastern states have voted that they think this is illegal. Next they will ask for help. Then we watch. Vlad will see where our fleet is and how Bambi reacts.

Vlad plays chess Bambi and his minions play checkers

[kristinn]

Via the BBC, In pictures: Protests at Ukraine presidential home.

[hoagy62]

I know one of our ships that was supposed to be in the area...the USS Taylor...ran aground and damaged it’s prop.

I don’t think we have many assets in the Black Sea. Not to mention...those that ARE there are mostly in anti-terrorism support for the Olympics. I doubt Bambi would send ships or troops into harms way for Ukraine.

[Utah Binger]

I personally detest the word "pics,"

"They are not Pics or Photos,they are Photographs".

Ansel Adams, circa 1960 to his student Joseph Schuett at Yosemite National Park

[Blackyce]

The protesters, armed with sticks and makeshift armour, celebrated on the steps of the president's official residence. The once heavily guarded and walled building, the Mezhyhirya, sits about 15km (10 miles) north of the capital, Kiev.

This protester waved an EU flag on the steps of the official residence. The protests began in November as a show of support for the EU, after Mr Yanukovych walked away from a planned trade deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia.

Mr Yanukovych was not in the residence at the time. He has left Kiev, and is reportedly in Kharkiv, to the east. That city is close to the Russian border, and traditionally leans politically towards Moscow.

No-one appeared to have gone inside the building, but people managed to take photos of the apparently deserted residence through the windows.

These opposition protesters took the opportunity to relax on garden furniture outside the residential buildings.

There was no sign of attempts by security to stop as people celebrated in the grounds.

A BBC correspondent photographed streams of people walking towards the building, unhindered by security or police.

President Yanukovych has lost his hold on power in Ukraine. Signs in the grounds of his home appeared to openly mock him,

Meanwhile in parliament, opposition MPs celebrated after a vote was passed to remove Mr Yanukovych from power and hold elections on 25 May. He has denounced recent events as a coup, comparing the actions of the opposition to the rise of the Nazis in Germany.

[SamAdams76]

Whatever happened to the "Putin Love-Fest" I used to see here on the Free Republic (in certain quarters). I'm talking about the ones that would post pics of Putin's naked upper torso and slobber about how manly he was compared to (fill in name of U.S. politician here).

Anyway, very interesting news out of the Ukraine. I think this bodes well for the free world. Hopefully the U.S. will wake up before it's too late.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Prayers for the folks!

And Putin needs to stay out!

[FreeReign]

Thanks for the quote.

There appears to be multiple chief rabbis.

Anyway it looks like it was one of the chief rabbis' sons who was quoted. He bases his comment on an anti semitic attack that occurred about a month ago.

Hopefully it's an isolated instance.

[kristinn]

Many more photos of Yanukovych's estate from a Live Journal blog entry.

[maggief]

Thanks for the ping!

[RedMDer]

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[AnAmericanAbroad]

LOL. Yeah I’ve noticed the Putin bootlickers and toadies have been strangely quiet.

Maybe they’re worried that their dreams of one day sitting at Putin’s feet, kissing his hand while gazing adoringly into the eyes of their Master have been dashed.

Oh well.....folks like that yearn to be dominated. They’ll find another authoritarian leader they can cling to soon enough, I suppose. The world’s full of them.

[cherokee1]

While the pipelines are important to Putin, in an income-producing sort of way, the Uke is where most of the wheat comes from. Putin may grunt and push but not to the point where he can’t trade for Uke wheat. If he somehow screwed up the ability to get wheat from Ukraine and Belaruss his 175 mill remaining Ruskies would get to be hungry SOB’s.

[cherokee1]

Don’t see the paper roller and it doesn’t look heated? Sort of smacks of being ancient Roman. Poor uncivilized bastard probably brings in a basket of mullen leaves to tidy up with. I seem to remember Saddam never got the terlet idea quite right either. Something about being a dicktater that makes you unable to operate a flush toilet? Maybe it should be part of our own presidential primaries-—demonstrate ability to operate a flusher-—blindfolded?

[GeronL]

for none thing “Presidents” should not live in “Palaces”

[grania]

my wife is from Ukraine

Can she answer a question for me? I have curiosity about the Ukraine, as my grandmother left from a small town near Lvov in around 1905. They were devout Russian Orthodox, and were concerned about Catholicis spreading in from Poland.

What is the nature of the protestors who are taking control in western Europe? Are they religious fanatics? Nazi-types? Aligned with the globalist agenda? Nationalists?

Best wishes to your wife's friends and relatives still in the Ukraine.

[cherokee1]

While the Black Sea is not one of our primary patrols you should be aware that the Mt Whitney is there at the moment. That’s a big deal because it controls the entire 6th and 5th fleets, the Kenyan notwithstanding, if action needs to be taken the Mt Whitney will start it. You should also be aware that Carrier Bush left our East Coast last week and should be in the Med by now. Along with the two other carriers still on station in the 5 and 6 Vlad would have his hands full in the event he feels a moment of stupidity coming on.

[familyop]

The Interpreter

London-based Herzen Foundation and the New York-based Institute of Modern Russia

Earlier today:

Excerpt:

This is not a coincidence. Yanukovych is reportedly in Kharkiv, a pro-Yanukovych stronghold (or it’s supposed to be), and he’s at a conference of the “Ukrainian Front,” a collection of politicians, and pro-government street thugs, who are willing to die for the President. But as a recent article by John Schindler, on The XX Committee, points out, the Ukranian Front appears to be deeply influenced and controlled by the Russian government. In fact, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma, Alexei Pushkov, is present in Kharkiv right now. Here’s what the report has to say about the nature of the Ukrainian Front:

It seems Moscow is not pleased with its protege Yanukovych and his inability to crush the opposition, so it is forming a new grouping to “assist” the hardliners. Given that the appearance of the Ukrainian Front has been heralded with a birth announcement in the Kremlin’s official newspaper, Russian approval and support can be assumed.

Moreover, the embrace of Stalinist-era rhetoric by the Ukrainian Front indicates a great deal, and will serve as a needless irritant towards Ukrainians who detest Stalin and his murderous legacy. In a similar vein, Communist activists have unveiled a bust of Stalin in Western Ukraine, a provocation that is about as offensive to most locals there as a statue of Hitler would be in the rest of Europe. Of course, hailing Stalin’s victories in the 1940′s is of a piece with the current Kremlin vilification campaign against all Ukrainians who do not want their country to be subjugated by Russia, a nasty agitprop line that regrettably has Western supporters, not all of them unwitting dupes.

Now that the Ukrainian Front has entered the picture, with Moscow’s imprimatur, expect the situation in Ukraine to only get worse. It would be difficult to overstate the danger Ukraine and Europe are in at the moment thanks to intimidation, meddling and provocation by Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin. European governments would be well advised to not permit naked Russian interference of a violent and coercive sort in Ukrainian politics: this cannot end well.

And now we have rallies in Sevastopol, where the Russian Black Fleet is anchored, in favor of reuniting with Russia (jump to update 1410).

[Lent]

Hey there’s Boxer Vitali Klitschko

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-klitschko-dwyre-20140222,0,4200061.column#axzz2u5IPould

[familyop]

Putin’s western fans are remnants of associates of Mussolini’s supporters and others fooled by them.