Free Republic

Viktor Yanukovych is the latest addition to the global list of petty corrupt dictators tossed out of power by popular protests. But up until recently, a fair-minded biography of the 63-year-old Ukrainian might have described Yanukovych as a political survivor. Things did not have to turn out this way, according to Alexander Motyl, an expert on Ukraine and Russia and professor of political science at Rutgers University. Motyl spoke with me on Monday morning and the following is a lightly edited transcript. Where did things start to go wrong for Viktor Yanukovych? Almost immediately after his election in March 2010,...

That’s the good news. The (potential) bad news? They want a return to the status quo ante, at least in part, before holding any more elections — and they want the West to stay out of Ukraine in any sense: Moscow pledged Tuesday it would not intervene in the crisis in neighbouring Ukraine but said the country should not be forced to choose between Russia and the West.“We confirmed our principled position of non-intervention in Ukraine’s internal affairs and expect that everyone follows similar logic,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.“We are interested in Ukraine being part of the European family,...

23.15 Oleh Lyashko on the Maidan stage: "The power of Yanukovych is finished, he has no majority in parliament." 23.09 People singing the national anthem on the Maidan right now: thousands of them, holding up phones with lights on like candles. It's been a horrible day, but as it ends. 22.48 Verkhovna Rada report: Parliament votes for ceasefire MPs approved resolution aiming calling for ceasefire and the return of all security forces to barracks. The resolution was voted for, including amendments by Lytvyn and Poroshenko, by 236 deputies. The bill requires a cease-fire, and equipment and troops have to return...