EU, Russia Spar Over Ukraine Govt Recognition

EU Endorses 'New' Government, Russia Rejects Them

As is so often the case in Ukrainian politics, the split on the ground in reflected and in many ways amplified by the split between Russia and the West, who each have very different ideas of who the government is.

The European Union sees the regime change as mission accomplished, and with President Yanukovych fleeing the capital, they have endorsed Oleksandr Turchinov as the “interim president.”

Russia isn’t nearly so eager to accept this, saying they aren’t comfortable with the idea that “Kalashnikov-toting people in black masks who are roaming Kiev” are the legitimate government.

Hoping to consolidate their gains, the pro-EU officials are looking to track down Yanukovych, saying they intend to charge him with “mass murder” for the deaths of protesters in Kiev. His whereabouts are unknown at the moment, but he is believed to be in the Crimea, where he has plenty of support and could potentially flee via the Russian naval base.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.