A couple of days ago well-known author and 'Economist' editor, Edward Lucas, tweeted that Yanuk and Putin had done a secret deal during their meeting in Sochi.
There has been no confirmation of such a deal by any other so-called respectable source.
Your blogger has frequently stated that the Kremlin will give Ukraine nothing, unless it is in exchange for a serious chunk of Ukrainian state assets, but this does not mean some kind of deal was not struck.
Sonya Koshkina in lb.ua considers that a deal was probably made - she calls it a 'Ponyatiyka' - a gang-land verbal agreement.
Yanukovych's "Family" will act as an intermediary in the Russian/Ukrainian gas trade - enabling them to skim off hundred of millions of dollars every year - hence the 'cheap' gas. Kurchenko's 'Vetek' will replace the infamous RUE.
However, if a Ukraine-Customs Union tie up is included in this deal, which is quite possible, then it has to be ratified in the Verkhovna Rada. Many PR deputies linked to big Ukrainian business will find great difficulty supporting such a massively dangerous move, as would many independents, particularly following today's huge demo and the turbulent events of the last three weeks..[good video here if you want to assess the numbers present]
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During both the previous last two weekends attempts were made to topple the Lenin statue in Kyiv .
On both occasions the statue was securely protected by a large detail of security service personnel, and the attempts repulsed.
It was most apparent that the statue had become a 'hot' target.
Tonight an almost unprotected Lenin statue was felled by a gang of masked youths armed with a ladder, a cable, a hand winch and a big hammer.
In any normal large city, when mass protests, marches, or even mass celebrations take place, important monuments have a scaffold frame constructed around them and are securely boarded up for protection.
Why was this not done in Kyiv?
The authorities certainly had plenty of warning that it could be attacked, and had plenty of time to take remedial action..But they did nothing...
Incompetence...or collusion...or provocation?
p.s. Hundreds of witnesses who were present are willing to swear that the statue blew over of its own accord.
p.p.s. Well done guys...
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