Ukraine president dismisses mid-tier officials, may dismiss ministers

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych issued on Dec. 14 decrees to dismiss Kyiv City Administration Chair Oleksandr Popov and National Security and Defense Council Deputy Secretary Volodymyr Sivkovych. At a Dec. 13 roundtable, he fingered a third official responsible for the Nov. 30 violent dispersal of demonstrators, Kyiv Police Chief Valeriy Koriak, who has been put on leave but not dismissed yet. Yanukovych told the roundtable that he didn’t sign the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement because of its poor preparation “in violation of the national interests of Ukraine,” adding he would dismiss those responsible, the Kommersant-Ukraina newspaper stated on Dec. 16. It reported those dismissed will be Foreign Affairs Minister Leonid Kozhara, Economic Development and Trade Minister Ihor Prasolov and Industrial Policy Minister Mykhaylo Korolenko “for not timely informing the government of the threats that signing the Association Agreement will pose to Ukraine’s economy.”

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland reportedly warned Ukraine’s biggest oligarch Rinat Akhmetov during her visit to Kyiv that he can expect personal sanctions if another attempt is made to forcefully disperse the EuroMaidan, in addition to members of the Party of Regions of Ukraine, reported on Dec. 13 Serhiy Leshchenko, a political reporter. Opposition protesters still have Kyiv’s central Independence Square (Maidan) and Kyiv City Council building occupied. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate is considering a resolution to restrict visas and freeze the assets of those involved in the Nov. 30 violent dispersal of peaceful protesters.

Zenon Zawada: Yanuokvych’s attempt to compromise with the EuroMaidan mass protest – which enters its 25th day today – is wholly inadequate. Instead of meeting protesters’ demands, the government’s key officials have found scapegoats to shift responsibility for its actions. There is ample evidence that key officials gave the orders to disperse the Maidan, including testimony from Popov himself, who fingered National Security and Defense Council Secretary Andriy Kliuyev. Anything short of the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych and the Cabinet of Ministers won’t satisfy the EuroMaidan and will prolong the crisis for weeks, a dangerous prospect for the economy.

Nuland’s reported warning had an effect as Akhmetov released a statement on Dec. 13 calling for dialogue. U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said he gained a promise from the Ukrainian government the Maidan won’t be forcefully dispersed. Behind the scenes, we think Western leaders are encouraging Ukraine’s oligarchs to abandon Yanukovych and Prime Minister Mykola Azarov in favor of a new government. After all, the oligarchs appear to be the only ones capable of convincing the government to step down, considering it’s acted with defiance to the hundreds of thousands of protesters. The European Parliament took an important step on Dec. 12 when declaring an urgent need for an intermediary EU mission “at the highest political level” to help find a way out of the crisis. We hope they follow the Americans’ lead in working with Ukraine’s oligarchs for a political solution.