The Situation in Ukraine

Many, many thanks to all those that have been staying informed and praying about Ukraine and its future. As the internet is full of much contradicting information about what has happened and about what is happening in Ukraine, WLF has created this brief summary of the facts.

Ukraine is a very young country that gained its independence only in 1991 and the Ukrainian people have wished for closer ties to Europe for quite some time now. All seemed to be going in that direction as a trade and partnership agreement between Ukraine and the EU was scheduled to be signed in November 2013. However, on November 21st president Victor Yanukovych (democratically elected in 2010) abruptly stopped his talks with the EU in favor of closer ties with Russia.

This disruption of the EU agreement was the initial reason for local rallies, but it was only after a peaceful student protest was violently dispersed by the “Berkut” (elite police unit) in Kiev (Ukraine’s Capitol) on November 30th that over 300,000 angry protestors gathered in Kiev’s main square the very next day.

On December 17th, Russia’s president, Putin, announced that Moscow will buy $15 billion worth of Ukrainian government bonds and allow for a sharp cut in the price Ukrainians pay for for Russian natural gas.

Protesters continued to gather on Maidan – Kiev’s Freedom Square (pronounced my-dawn). Every day more and more Ukrainians joined the protests, many in Kiev, others in their own cities and towns. Left and right, Ukrainians joined the anti-government uprising that demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, as well as the resignation of President Yanukovych.

Protests continued heating up during the month of January, being only ignited further by harsh anti-protest laws that strongly resembled a dictatorship. It was on January 22nd that the first deaths occurred, infuriating the protestors and encouraging them to stand their ground in order to be seen and heard – demanding REAL changes in their country’s leadership.

On January 28th Ukraine’s Prime Minister resigned and parliament repealed the new laws that set off the violence of a week earlier. Ukrainians continued to hold their ground on Maidan and all over Ukraine hoping beyond hope for change. On February 16th, the opposition activists ended their occupation of Kiev City Hall for the release of all arrested protestors (over 200 had been detained at this point), hoping to progress towards resolving the crisis peacefully.

However, only two days later clashes resumed on Kiev’s streets after parliament stalled in taking up a constitutional reform to limit presidential powers. Within the next several days over 70 people were dead and hundreds were injured, many caused by police fire. As a result, more than a dozen deputies from the president’s party resigned in protest to the “blood-bath”.

Foreign ministers from France, Germany, and Poland met with Yanukovych and on the 21st of February parliament voted to return Ukraine to its 2004 constitution, limiting the president’s power. After Yanukovych was denounced, he fled Kiev. Parliament voted to hold early elections on May 25 of this year (the next presidential election was to take place in 2015). On February 23rd parliament elected Oleksandr Turchynov as Ukraine’s interim president.

God has answered many many prayers; changes are taking place that even a month ago seemed light-years away. However, the enemy doesn’t sleep – he continues to mix strife in Ukraine. Even as the government and Kiev itself seems to be on the mend, new issues arise in the south of Ukraine in the half island of Crimea. The Russian military is now involved. We don’t know what the following days hold for Ukraine, but we have faith in Him who has all the answers. Let’s continue raising Ukraine and the Ukrainian people up to the heavens in our prayers.