Meanwhile: Ukraine

I have only been glancing at the ongoing news about the protests and riots in the Ukraine, but now, after much bloodshed and turmoil, the President has fled, and I have a few comments for what appears to be the current situation.

The whereabouts and status of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich were unclear on Sunday, after he left the capital and his archrival, Yulia Tymoshenko, was freed from prison and returned to Kiev to address a massive, adoring crowd.

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The country's parliament, in a special session Sunday, voted overwhelmingly to temporarily hand the president's powers to speaker Oleksandr Turchinov.

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Ukraine's newly emboldened legislature voted Sunday to hand the president's powers to the parliament speaker, a Tymoshenko ally.
  

This apparently sparked the President’s decision to flee.* Not very encouraging for the idea of a new democratic regime if the old guy fears for his life.

The parliament also planned to ban Yanukovich's Party of Regions, as well as the Communist Party, and disband the riot police who were responsible for much of the violence in recent days.

Not very encouraging for the idea of a new democratic regime if one of the first acts of the parliament is to ban certain parties.

Britain warned Russia on Sunday against intervening in Ukraine's "complex" crisis, saying London wanted to contribute to an international economic program aimed at shoring up the "desperately difficult" situation of the Ukrainian economy.

Britain has warned Russia against intervening because Britain wants to be the one doing that? A bit cheeky, no?

The White House on Saturday urged Ukraine to quickly form a unity government.

"We have consistently advocated a de-escalation of violence, constitutional change, a coalition government, and early elections, and today's developments could move us closer to that goal," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a news release. "The unshakeable principle guiding events must be that the people of Ukraine determine their own future."

While Britain intervenes. And, as everyone knows, the U.S. is the world’s champion of allowing other countries to determine their own future.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far remained silent on the latest developments.

We shall be waiting.

*UPDATE

The new Ukrainian authorities have put missing President Yanukovich on the wanted list on suspicion of involvement in mass killings during the riots in Kiev.

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The arrest warrant was issued on Monday.

  RT