The revolt that took the skin Yanukovych is in the hands of liberals and fascists. The
country is now the center of a diplomatic jousting scented Cold War, which if not of
yesterday, has now become explosive. ---- Last November, the refusal of a trade agreement
with the EU by Yanukovych makes starting the movement of pro-European Euromaidan protest.
Violent repression he knows, coupled with the enactment of a law prohibiting
demonstrations in January are harden movement. First multiforme, with components from all
sides, first "pro-EU" parties whose leaders were trained by Westerners struggle Maidan is
then partially taken over by fascist militias organized, which exclude those who openly
opposed them, as antifascist and anarchist groups. After a week of deadly clashes and
Western diplomatic pressure, Yanukovych fled Kiev, leaving the field open to "pro-EU" and
fascists, who receive half of the positions of the provisional government, with the
blessing of the West.
The first steps are abandoning the antimanifestation law, but the ban on Russian and two
political parties, the Party of Regions and the Communist Party of Ukraine (PCU), also
pro-Russian, members of both parties are hunted. Soon, vigilante "anti-fascist" arise in
the East, supported by the PCU, particularly in regions of Donbass and Crimea.
Putin sent troops in the Crimea in February, he said, "protect its citizens". Under
Russian pressure, the autonomous Crimean parliament vote on March 11, his attachment to
Russia. Donbass demand autonomy.
Cultural and historical divide
How did we get here? Like most countries of the former Eastern bloc, Ukraine has suffered
the brunt of liberal transformations. Following a collapse of the USSR, and its total
independence in 1991, the main industries of the country fell under the domination of
former executives of the regime. The fruits of growth have been widely picked up by those
oligarchs called, amassing a huge fortune on the backs and sweat of workers and Ukrainian
workers, who saw disappear little social achievements of the former Socialist Republic not
without resistance on their part, as in the Donbass miners' strike in 1995.
Since 1998, growth slows, and the government accepts the infamous "structural reforms" of
the IMF in exchange for monetary assistance, completing the ultra-liberal transformation
of the economy. Since then, the overall economic situation of the Ukrainians was not
arranged, the average salary is about 300 euros, it is even worse with the 2008 crisis and
the decline in exports to the West and Russia, whose country is largely dependent: in
2009, GDP fell by 15%, unemployment from 3% to nearly 8%.
In this social situation adds a major cultural and historical divide between the West,
Ukrainian-, mostly rural and poor, and the East, Russian-speaking, industrialized, richer.
It is a source of tension, but are mainly exploited by a bourgeoisie and a political class
divided between the "pro-EU" and "pro-Russian", supported on each side by the respective
powers to which Ukraine is a challenge major strategic: the first by the pipeline that
provides economies of the West, the other for its naval base in Crimea. Western
bourgeoisies in their interest to have a system that would be favorable to them in
Ukraine, near Russia, which could lead to pressure on the Russians directly, before they
do anything to avoid it and keep the Ukraine under their influence. The United States in
particular, have spared no effort in this direction. Each side has the support of the
oligarchs primarily concerned with their economic interests, and popular support nourished
hopes of emancipation maintained by media devices on both sides of the Russian and Western
models.
No real alternative
These tensions have really emerged in 2004, during the presidential election between
Viktor mainly Ioutchtenko, the Our Ukraine party (pro-EU) and Viktor Yanukovych, Prime
Minister since 2002 the Party of Regions (pro-Russian), with the support of the respective
EU and the United States on one side, Russia and the former Speaker of the other. Against
a background of corruption and fraud, the electoral commission announced Yanukovych
winner, which gives rise to an unprecedented mobilization of pro-Westerners: the Orange
Revolution, culminating with strong diplomatic pressure from Western said, the review of
the decision and the arrival of Ioutchtenko power. The 2006 elections will give the Party
majority regions, Yanukovych will be appointed Prime Minister. Since then, political
instability dominates, amid financial scandals and corruption in both camps. It is in this
context that the Ukrainian far right, ultra-nationalist and pro-Nazi, played by the
Svoboda party (which refers to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and the SS Galicia division,
support Hitler against the USSR) , has seen its audience grow, particularly in the region
of Lviv, where he earned 30% of votes.
In any case, the Ukrainians themselves have nothing to gain, because no two powers being
put in place does not offer real alternative to the liberal system and social and economic
inequalities. Moreover, the takeover of the Liberals / Fascists as pro-Russian is
facilitated and protected by each power, because both parties have an interest in a
government under their control in Ukraine. Is everything lost forever? This will depend on
the organization and mobilization of the revolutionary left and social movement building.
Coordination of libertarians in Ukraine and neighboring countries is crucial. Multiple
calls to the union, against the Russian intervention and against the war, no illusions
about the new government of Kiev, from Ukrainian anarchist organizations, in this direction.
Hugues (AL 95)
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