Pro-Ukraine Protesters Demand the Return of Crimea

World Today

Ukraine’s former Prime mMnister Yulia Tymoshenko called on fellow Ukrainians to defend their country. She made the comments Friday in Donetsk, during the launch of a nationwide resistance movement aimed at unifying the nation.  As pro-Russian sentiment builds in Ukraine’s east – Protesters in the opposing camp gathered in Kiev. 

The Geneva agreement calls for the gunmen in eastern Ukraine to leave occupied buildings and squares, and disarm. Demonstrators in the east – who’ve been clamoring for autonomy from Kiev – have been arguing that the camps in Kiev’s Independence Square should be evacuated, too.  At a news conference in the capital on Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia told reporters that the Geneva deal doesn’t apply to the pro-western activists at the Maidan. In Ukraine’s Independence Square, many are still living in tents that fly the Ukrainian flag. Many display photos of victims who died during clashes with police forces.

Pro-Ukraine Protesters Demand the Return of Crimea

Ukraine's former Prime mMnister Yulia Tymoshenko called on fellow Ukrainians to defend their country. She made the comments Friday in Donetsk, during the launch of a nationwide resistance movement aimed at unifying the nation. As pro-Russian sentiment builds in Ukraine's east - Protesters in the opposing camp gathered in Kiev.

While neither pro-federation demonstrators in eastern Ukraine — nor the protesters in western cities like Kiev and Lviv who favor closer ties to the EU – seem ready to back down. Acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchinov says the national parliament was ready to, quote: “conduct comprehensive constitutional reform,” which would strengthen the powers of the regions. This would include making Russian the second official language in 13 out of 27 Ukrainian regions in the south and east. Though the government hoped to defuse tension with the proposed constitutional changes – the Communist Party and the Party of Regions did not back the agreement – saying the reforms don’t go far enough.