The Ukrainian parliament, yesterday, turned into a scene of violence which can only be seen in riots, street brawls and football matches, but it was not young angered adults but politicians that run the country who were involved.
Video of Ukraine politicians fight in Ukrainian parliament
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Today the Prime Minister of Ukraine, said “The fact that the stay of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is extended it does not limit the volume of our sovereignty, does not deprive Ukraine from a single inch of land, does not harm any of the values of our people and does not limit the rights of any citizen”.
The Prime Minister also called yesterday’s decision by parliament, “historic” and stressed that it brings an end to the “Five-Year pointless feud with Russia.” “We firmly opted for a strategic partnership to be in a good relationship with our neighbors, and now we can confidently say that Ukraine will become a strong and independent state”.
The scenes in yesterdays parliament showdown was disgraceful as eggs, fists and feet were thrown at one and other while one unknown man even threw a smoke bomb into the parliament. One MP even jumped on top of a crowed of politicians while several threw punches at each other.
An MP was seen punched on the nose and was bleeding heavily, while several of Ukraine’s leaders were taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries and due to the effects of the smoke bomb.
The tension started before a vote on a controversial treaty with Russia, where the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Volodymyr Lytvyn was thrown eggs at to try and stop him making the go ahead for the vote allowing Russia’s Black Sea fleet to remain in Ukraine for at least another 30 years.
The majority of the MP’s who started the egg throwing where members of Ukraine’s nationalist party who were strictly against the vote for the Russian fleet to stay in the countries naval harbors in the Black sea.
The scene at the Ukrainian parliament was so bad that Mr Lytvyn was shielded from the thrown eggs by two aides who opened their umbrellas to block the oncoming missiles while the speaker carried on his speech.
It was at this point that Opposition leaders accused the Ukrainian president of betrayal for allowing the Russian fleet to stay in their base in Sevastopol, Crimea where the lease of the Russian naval forces was to end in 2017.
Then some of the politicians who supported the president got involved which when all hell broke out. The brawl was showed on national TV and news channels and websites all over the world.
While the vote took place, opposing members took out a giant Ukrainian flag and a smoke bomb was hurled into the crowd while MP’s shouted “SHAME”.
Meanwhile, riot police were deployed outside the Ukrainian parliament as protesters with numbers acceding 10,000 were outside to show their anger against the vote.
Ukraine’s residents are deeply divided into pro-Russian and pro-Western factions. While the protests in and outside the parliament went on, the vote took place with, 236 deputies in the 450-seat Ukrainian parliament, voted for the stay of the Russian fleet, which extended its stay in Ukraine till at least 2042.
One opposition MP, Andriy Shevchenko, said “our own deputies were responsible for the smoke bomb” and carried on by saying that “the protests were justified”
The leader of the pro-Western Orange Revolution who was defeated at the presidential elections in 2004, Yuliya Tymoshenko, condemned the vote by saying. “Today will go down as a black page in the history of Ukraine and the Ukrainian parliament”.
There were also demonstrations by supporters of Victor Yanukovych’s ruling Party of Regions who joined with other pro-Russian demonstrators with banner saying “Ukraine & Russia strategic partners”.
The vote has strengthened relations between Russia and Ukraine after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who broke relations with Mr Yushchenko last year, after accusing him of being “anti-Russian”.
The move also strengthened the gas deal between Russia and Ukraine, after Russia had promised a 30% discount if they are allowed to carry on staying at the Black Sea which is a deal worth $40 billion.
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This deal will also pave the way for future Russian investment into Ukraine. Ukraine can really benefit from this. After all with the financial crisis Europeans are going to be very hesitant to invest any money into the country.
The United States is also off the hoke of subsidizing some crazy regime in Kiev. The United States like the EU also cannot afford the Ukrainian project. The base deal also contains Americans militant inclinations. Setting up an American or NATO base in the Crimea would be the last straw and there would be a war with Russia. Russia is not going to put up with any more advancement into she considers her traditional sphere of influence. So the deal contains any crazy ideas that the Americans may come up with.
This deal represents an attempt by the new regime in Ukraine to repair relations with Russia that were needlessly damaged by Victor Yushchenko. The deal is good for Europe, Russia, and The United States of America. The deal is good for Europe because the EU is off the hoke of subsidizing a very costly national development project that is Ukraine. With the financial problems in Greece, The Baltic’s, and the Balkans, the EU simply cannot afford to subsidize the Ukrainian Economy. Furthermore, the Euro zone is simply becoming to large to manage so to speak. Additionally, with better relations between Ukraine and Russia it is unlikely that there will have another gas crises for four years. It means Russian gas supplies will be able to freely travel to Europe without some unstable regime in Kiev blocking or stealing Russian gas supplies destined for Europe.
The deal is good for Ukraine because of the discount. The deal will help the struggling industrial centers in Eastern Ukrainian. Nationalists Ukrainians in central and Western Ukrainian will however reject the deal simply because it will help the pro Russia eastern part of the country. Ironically the eastern Ukraine is the only economically viable part of the country.