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WestCoastJoe
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http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/02/22 ... anukovych/

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... he-greats/
From a hovercraft to an entire spanish galleon: Protesters storm the secret mansion compound of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych

Maria Danilova, Associated Press | February 22, 2014 | Last Updated: Feb 22 5:42 PM ET

NOVI PETRIVTSI, Ukraine — The opulent residence of President Viktor Yanukovych has always been a closely guarded secret — and a symbol of the alleged corruption at Ukraine’s highest levels. On Saturday, after he fled the capital and its gates were thrown open, thousands streamed into the compound to get a first-hand look.

Inside the walled compound known as Mezhyhirya, posh mansions stood amid manicured lawns. There were parks dotted with statues, ponds with fountains and wild ducks, a tennis court, a golf course and a colonnaded pavilion.

As throngs of ordinary Ukrainians got their first look at Yanukovich’s luxurious estate, many expressed disgust. Some brought their children — one even brought his dog. They considered the tour a victory for anti-government demonstrators who fought street battles with police this week in which dozens were killed.

At a protest of government censorship of the media in June outside the walls of Yanukovych’s residence, the gates were cordoned off by dozens of beefy riot police in red berets.

On Saturday, the compound known as Mezhyhirya was guarded by the opposition’s self-defence units.

Yanukovych had always refused to talk about his residence, admitting only to living in a modest house on a small plot inside Mezhygirya Park, about 140 hectares (345 acres) of forested hills along the Dnipro River.

Journalists’ investigations traced the property and buildings around it to Yanukovych’s allies.

Now those gates were open to the public.

The protesters’ self-defence units were deployed inside the compound to maintain order and prevent any looting or damage to the property. One of them, a middle-aged man, could not hide his anger: “Look how he lived, son of a *beeotch*.”

Activists described one giant wooden building as a guest house. It was closed and no one was allowed inside but a peek through a window revealed marble floors, crystal chandeliers, a massive stairway with what looked like gold-covered railings, and a giant piano in a reception hall with luxurious beige armchairs.

Activists attached a yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flag to the house, and many posed for photos in front of it.

“It’s like we entered Berlin and seized the Reichstag,” said Oleksiy Tiunov, a 33-year-old computer specialist from Kyiv. He added that he was proud of his fellow protesters.

“They didn’t flee, they didn’t run, good guys, even when they started getting killed. Everybody stood there, even peaceful citizens. We Ukrainians still have this spirit which cannot be crushed,” Tiunov said, choking back tears.

Many waved Ukrainian and European Union flags, embracing each other and chanting, “Glory to Ukraine.”

A self-appointed guide who introduced himself as Roman told of the construction of the guest house and showed everyone a multilevel pond, surrounded by elegant statues. “This is where our money was wasted,” he said.

People were overwhelmed but also curious. “Where is the helicopter pad? Where is the golf course?” one woman asked. “Where are the ostriches?” questioned another.

One of those inside the estate was Mykhailo Havrilyuk, a well-known activist who had been stripped naked, beaten and humiliated by Yanukovych’s police force last month. He insisted Yanukovych must go, and he suggested Mezhygirya be turned into a children’s sanatorium.

“Let him be hanged or hidden away in a place where nobody will find him,” Havrilyuk said.

The estate also had a full private zoo:
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Yulia Yashchenko, 26, brought her 5-year-old son, Volodymyr, so he could witness history.

“I want to see how the guarantor of our constitution, so to speak, lived, and to show this to my child,” she said, with some sarcasm. “These are historic events.”

Vitali Rus, 31, and his wife Lilia, 28, both lawyers from Kyiv, could not hide their disgust.

And a fully stocked garage:
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“It looks like a medieval pharaoh who had an entire empire working for him, who was spending all this tax money on himself,” Vitali said, holding his 3-year-old son, Artem. “When we saw footage from the residence of the British queen, we didn’t see such luxury as with this modern Ukrainian dictator.”

By afternoon, thousands had lined up to enter. Some walked several kilometres (miles), because the roads were choked with hundreds of cars going there. Over loudspeakers, activists urged the visitors not to destroy anything and checked those who were leaving to make sure nothing had been taken.

Back in Kyiv, funerals were held for some of the dead protesters. Those victims were on the mind of Vitali Rus as he toured Yanukovych’s compound.

“Today is a day of sorrow, when we must mourn the hundreds of those who died, and thanks to whom we were able to enter this territory,” he said. “And this wicked man, who calls himself the president of Ukraine, has fled.”

Associated Press correspondent Maria Danilova, below, has covered President Viktor Yanukovych for years, from his defeat in the Orange Revolution to his rise to Ukraine’s highest office. When the opposition took over the capital of Kyiv and the gates to his once-secret residence were opened, Danilova joined thousands of Ukrainians who got their first look at the grandeur of the presidential compound.
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WestCoastJoe
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Now in hiding, despite asserting that he would stay on and win the next election, Yanukovych built himself an incredible estate in his brief time in power.

Hard for these guys to resist the temptations of power. Build a palace. Or two. Or fifty, as Saddam did.

Run and hide, you thief. Shame forever more.
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Sir Purrcival
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Typical. The regimes change but the game remains the same.
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WestCoastJoe
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http://www.cnn.com/video/standard.html? ... cnn.com%2F

CNN video. On the backs of the people. At the expense of the people.

Cool to see the ordinary people touring through the estate. No vandalism. A sign of hope, I would suggest.

And, to some degree, in some ways, a successful revolution. :thup:

Let's see what kind of loot Putin has gathered.
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TheLionKing
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Typical lifestyle of the infamous and corrupt.
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Yeah...isn't it incredible. Just the scale of it. This kind of greed seems to almost-always accompany leaders in non-democratic states, but Ukraine was, in name anyway, a democratic state. Not only greedy, but also stupid. Why not just a little payoff--enough to live well, but not be noticeably corrupt? The scale here is truly awesome (and I try hard not to use that word).

I hope the Ukrainians are successful in tracking Yanukovych down and, somehow, getting him to the Hague for trial. He's a thug, pure and simple. Just like Putin.

How many absolute leaders can you think of who have not been found to be corrupt--lining their own pockets at the expense of ordinary citizens? I can think of one: the current Pope, Francis. He eschews anything smacking of luxury.
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notahomer
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People taking tours..... funny to watch but considering the big picture, not so good.

24 Sussex Drive is the home for the currently elected Prime Minister, don't think its that extravagant. What I think is really cool about Canada is we have a home for our leader of the opposition (Stornoway). The leader of the opposition is so respected he/she gets a home and a larger salary just to showcase how important a strong opposition to government is to an effective government......
TheLionKing
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What is truly amazing is that is there is no looting going on. This certainly isn't the case in other countries when the people overthrew their dictator.
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Sir Purrcival
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I'm pretty sure that the President will have made his way to Russia somehow. I also fully expect Russia to get involved in the Crimea on the pretext of "protecting" ethnic Russians. Quite ironic really. During the Soviet regime, "ethnic" Russians were put all over the place. Now that the Soviet Union is gone, they use this excuse to continue to interfere in the internal workings of former Soviet members. My question simply would be "Are you Russian or are you Ukrainian"? If you think of yourself as Russian, go back to Russia. To run around flying the flag of a "separate" nation while claiming citizenship in another is really unacceptable. Guess I really am an old grump. I don't believe in dual citizenship either. You are one or the other. You can still maintain your heritage from wherever you come from but if your allegiance to your old country is stronger than your adopted one, you are living in the wrong place.
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Sir Purrcival
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Predictable unfortunately. Russia is really quite ridiculous as is the US. The Russians stalled at the UN Security Council on intervention in Syria for months. They are really good at doing that when it suits their purposes but in less than a week after their man in the Ukraine is voted out by the parliament, they have troops on the ground in Crimea and 150,000 troops engaged in "war games" conveniently near the border.
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TheLionKing
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So much for the "new" Russia. The big Bear is still alive and well.
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WestCoastJoe
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So if the people of a country, Ukraine, overthrow the leader, and he escapes, what should the position of other nations be?

Support the elected President?

Support the ones who have overthrown the government?

Back around 1861-1865 in the US, there was talk that England might come to the aid of the southern states that sought independence. By modern standards, I am not sure that such a move would be considered fair game.

By the way, was Lincoln justified in fighting to keep the US together? Were not the people of the south entitled to the independence they wanted? I recall Shelby Foote telling the story of a northern soldier asking a southern soldier why he was fighting. The Confederate soldier said he was fighting because the Union soldiers were on his land. "I am fighting because you are down here."

Russia obviously has a stake in the workings of Ukraine. Khruschev had given the Crimea to Ukraine in 1954. They already had troops there. They upped the ante by sending more.

It is complicated these days. Is it possible this situation is not as black and white as the Western media makes out? The population in Crimea is 58% Russian.

Was either Bush justified in invading Iraq? First time? OK, Iraq invaded Kuwait. So you liberate Kuwait and then invade Iraq? Second time? There were no arms of mass destruction. Was the US justified in invading Afghanistan? Because of 9/11? Afghanistan had nothing to do with that.

I guess the Armed Forces of the Ukraine were not in position to prevent the entry of more Russian troops into Crimea. LOL As if they could have stopped them anyway.

Is this technically an invasion of Crimea by Russia? They already had troops there. Or is this more of an interference, welcomed by some, not by others? There was an agreement under which Russia already had troops there.

Was Putin justified in taking actions to protect Russian interests in Crimea? Probably not. But if he had not taken action, Russian interests could be greatly compromised (naval base, et cetera).

Not condoning the actions of Putin or Russia. But not thinking that the rest of the world should take action either. Some kind of sanctions? Sure. But they will be minimal.

I kind of doubt there will large scale fighting (between tropps of Ukraine and Russia) as it stands now. If not, then is it possible that the will of the majority of the people in Crimea can get what they want democratically? Peacefully?

So the Western world is unhappy with Putin and Russia. What are they going to do about it? Very little.

As I say, it is complicated ...
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Putin also insisted that the Russian military deployment in Crimea has remained within the limits set by a bilateral agreement on a Russian military base there. He said Russia had no intention of annexing Crimea, but insisted its residents have the right to determine the region's status in a referendum set for later this month.
Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/putin-russi ... z2v0n3CDtQ
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http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/putin-russi ... -1.1712848
Vladimir Isachenkov and Tim Sullivan, The Associated Press
Published Tuesday, March 4, 2014 5:10AM EST
Last Updated Tuesday, March 4, 2014 11:07AM EST

MOSCOW -- Accusing the West of encouraging an "unconstitutional coup" in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow reserves the right to use its military to protect Russians there but voiced hope it won't need to do so. The Russian leader's first comments on Ukraine since its fugitive president fled to Russia came as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukraine's new government.

Putin declared that Western actions were driving Ukraine into anarchy and warned that any sanctions the West places on Russia for its actions there will backfire. Both the U.S. and the 28-nation European Union have raised the possibility of sanctions against Russia.

The U.S. announced a $1 billion aid package Tuesday in energy subsidies to Ukraine, which is scrambling to get international loans to fend off looming bankruptcy. Its finance minister, who has said Ukraine needs $35 billion to get through this year and next, was meeting Tuesday with officials from the International Monetary Fund.

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to journalists' questions on the current situation in Ukraine at the Novo-Ogaryovo presidential residence outside Moscow on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. (RIA Novosti / Alexei Nikolsky / Presidential Press Service)

Ukrainian naval ships Slavutich, right, and Ternopil, left, in dock in Sevastopol, Ukraine, on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. The blankets and mattresses are placed over the side of the ship to hinder any attempted assault. (AP / Ivan Sekretarev)

A child plays near a Russian soldier, right, while Ukrainian soldiers look on from behind gates as the Russian soldier guards the gate of an Ukrainian infantry base in Perevalne, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. (AP / Darko Vojinovic)

A Ukrainian airman puts the national flag over the gate as they guard what's left under their control at the Belbek air base, outside Sevastopol, Ukraine, on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Russian troops, who had taken control over Belbek airbase, fired warning shots in the air as around 300 Ukrainian officers marched towards them to demand their jobs back. (AP / Ivan Sekretarev)

Col. Yuri Mamchur, commander of the Ukrainian garrison at the Belbek air base, leads his men to the base, outside Sevastopol, Ukraine, on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. (AP / Ivan Sekretarev)

A woman cries during the funeral of Volodymyr Topiy, 59, who was found burned in the house of trade unions in Kyiv's Independence Square during recent clashes with police, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 4, 2014. (AP / Emilio Morenatti)

Tensions remained high Tuesday in Crimea, with troops loyal to Moscow firing warning shots to ward off protesting Ukrainian soldiers. Russia took over the strategic peninsula on Saturday, placing its troops around the peninsula's ferry, military bases and border posts. Two Ukrainian warships remained anchored in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, blocked from leaving by Russian ships.

The new Ukrainian leadership in Kyiv, which Putin does not recognize, has accused Moscow of a military invasion in Crimea.

Yet world markets seemed to recover from their fright over the situation in Ukraine, clawing back a large chunk of Monday's stock losses, while oil, gold, wheat and the Japanese yen gave back some of their gains.

"Confidence in equity markets has been restored as the standoff between Ukraine and Russia is no longer on red alert," David Madden, market analyst at IG, said Tuesday.

Speaking from his residence outside Moscow, Putin said he still considers Viktor Yanukovych to be Ukraine's president and hopes that Russia won't need to use force in predominantly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine.

"We aren't going to fight the Ukrainian people," Putin said, adding that the massive military manoeuvrs Russia has been doing near Ukraine's border had been planned and were unrelated to the situation in Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, Putin had ordered tens of thousands of Russian troops participating in those exercises to return to their bases -- some 150,000 troops, hundreds of tanks and dozens of aircraft in all.

Putin also insisted that the Russian military deployment in Crimea has remained within the limits set by a bilateral agreement on a Russian military base there. He said Russia had no intention of annexing Crimea, but insisted its residents have the right to determine the region's status in a referendum set for later this month.

Putin accused the West of using Yanukovych's decision in November to ditch a pact with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia to encourage the months of protests that drove him from power and put Ukraine's future in turmoil.

"We have told them a thousand times 'Why are you splitting the country?"' he said.

Yet he acknowledged that Yanukovych has no political future and said Russia gave him shelter only to save his life. Ukraine's new government wants to put the fugitive leader on trial for the deaths of over 80 people during protests last month in Kyiv.

Ukraine's dire finances were a key issue in the protests that drove Yanukovych from power. On Tuesday, Russia's state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom said it will cancel a price discount on gas it sells to Ukraine. Russia had offered the discount in December as part of Russian help for Ukraine. Gazprom also said Ukraine owes it $1.5 billion.

Crimea still remained a potential flashpoint. Pro-Russian troops who had taken control of the Belbek air base in Crimea fired warning shots into the air Tuesday as around 300 Ukrainian soldiers, who previously manned the airfield, demanded their jobs back.

About a dozen soldiers at the base warned the Ukrainians, who were marching unarmed, not to approach. They fired several warning shots into the air and said they would shoot the Ukrainians if they continued to march toward them.

The new Ukrainian government has said the troops that have overtaken Belbek and other Ukrainian military bases across Crimea were Russian, but Putin denied it, saying they were self-defence forces answering to Crimea's pro-Russian regional government.

Putin said 22,000 Ukrainian soldiers in Crimea have "dispersed." He didn't explain if that meant they had just left their posts or if they had switched allegiances from Kyiv to the local pro-Russian government. Those officials claimed Tuesday that 5,500 Ukrainian soldiers had pledged allegiance to them and said they were seeking to move up a vote planned for March 30 on the region's status.

At the United Nations in New York, Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said Russia was entitled to deploy up to 25,000 troops in Crimea under the agreement.

Russia is demanding the implementation of a Western-sponsored peace deal that Yanukovych signed with the opposition last month that set a new Ukrainian presidential election no later than December. Yanukovych fled the capital hours after the signing and ended up in Russia, and the Ukrainian parliament then set the vote for May 25.

In Brussels, meanwhile, the ambassadors of NATO's 28 member nations held another emergency meeting on Ukraine at the request of Poland, which borders both Russia and Ukraine. The alliance said it and Russia agreed to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine at a special meeting Wednesday.

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said Russia's military intervention in Ukraine violates the UN charter and threatens peace and security in Europe.

President Barack Obama has said Russia is "on the wrong side of history" in Ukraine and its actions violate international law. Obama says the U.S. is considering economic and diplomatic options that will isolate Russia.

In return, Russia's agricultural oversight agency on Tuesday reversed its earlier decision to lift the ban on imports of U.S. pork. It said the existing U.S. system of checks don't guarantee its safety.

The European Union's foreign ministers on Monday threatened Moscow with halting talks on visa liberalization and negotiations on further economic co-operation unless Russian troops in Crimea pull back over the next three days. The bloc's 28 heads of state and government will hold an emergency meeting Thursday to decide whether to impose sanctions against Russia.

Putin's economic advisor, Sergei Glazyev, says Russia can develop financial ties with other nations to offset any potential Western sanctions.

Sullivan reported from Crimea. Ivan Sekretarev in Sevastopol, Juergen Baetz in Brussels and Raul Gallego in Crimea contributed to this report.
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