What’s going on in Ukraine matters to democracy around the world. In Ukraine, we are seeing the population protesting against their government’s steps that are reminiscent of Ukraine’s Soviet past. The protests are for dignified reasons including freedom of expression, the rule of law, – all of which Canada and the United States clearly support, but it is so wrongfully under the radar. Despite the important public condemnation expressed by countries like Canada and the United States, we should be seeing global leadership doing more. Canada, The United States and a number of European countries were held as beacons for democratic values during the protests for democracy in the Arab region, so it would be smart for global leadership to begin imposing sanctions on Ukrainian leadership to keep the violence in the country from elevating any further.
The protests began in response to the Ukrainian government’s rejection of an accord with the EU in November 2013. The association deal included closer economic ties with Russia. It was late January that the protests became violent, leading to two deaths on January 22nd in Ukraine’s capital due to confrontations between protestors and police officers. According to a BBC report, the violence escalated quickly, leading to the injury of hundreds of protesters and 170 police officers by January 26th. Canadian Prime Minister Harper has since condemned Ukrainian crack-downs on protesters and the White House has threatened Ukraine with sanctions if violence continues. Germany, France and other governments have also urged Yanukovych to talk to the opposition.
It became clear that global leadership would not tolerate the continuance of Yanukovych’s brutal counter-insurgency. Germany, France and other governments have also urged him to talk to the opposition. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton plans to visit Kyiv next week.
The largest pro-European Union protests outside Kiev have taken place at the Taras Shevchenko monument in Lviv. Image credit: Helgi
According to Canadian Member of Parliament Chrystia Freeland:
The opposition has gained a lot of traction, and protests have lead opposition leaders to negotiations with President Yanukovych.According to an Al-Jazeera report, activists have already “occupied city hall and the agricultural ministry, and blocked off the energy ministry building, in increasingly violent protests against Yanukovich’s rule”.
It is very rare that democratic values are destructed so blatantly as they are in Ukraine. And it is precisely for this reason that Ukraine should be sparking more direct and clear positions from global leadership and the international community in support of the opposition.
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