How Two Billionaires And One Young Protest Street Leader Helped To Overthrow The Ukrainian President

Photo: Dmitry Firtash, a Ukrainian billionaire, has Yanukovych to thank for his rise to riches. But as the standoff in Kiev became more embittered and then violent, he began making preparations for the president's fall. Getty Images

Yanukovych's Fall: The Power of Ukraine's Billionaires -- Christian Neef, Spiegel Online

The protesters in Kiev were largely responsible for the fall of the Ukrainian president. But his way out of office was paved by two of the country's most powerful oligarchs. Made rich by Viktor Yanukovych, the pair made early preparations for his departure.

Nobody told Ukrainian parliamentarian Yuri Blagodir that you had to be physically fit to be a representative. But last Thursday, the ability to run fast suddenly became a key skill. Just before 10 a.m., the parliament in Kiev was finally assembling in an effort to find a way out of the spiraling chaos that had gripped the country. Then came the order to clear the building.

Gunfire rang out, explosions shook the government quarter and special police and secret service units rushed to the scene. The opposition, it was said, intended to storm the parliament and the seat of government.

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WNU Editor: A profile on anti-presidential protester Volodymyr Parasiuk can be read here.


My Comment: Both posts provide a small but revealing glimpse into the internal politics of Ukraine .... and what it's future may hold.