by Dru Hunsaker

While Ukraine’s former president, Viktor Yanukovych, remains in hiding following the coup that ousted him from power and led to an arrest warrant for his person, protests in the Ukraine are mounting and the Russian government is reaching out to suppress the unrest.

Viktor Yanukovych, now wanted for mass murder of civilians, is rumored to be hiding somewhere inside the Ukrainian border. Although he originally fled to the pro-Russian city of Kharkiv, the mayor of the city denies rumors that Yanukovych is seeking asylum there. In his last public appearance, he insisted, “I don’t plan to leave the country. I don’t plan to resign. I am the legitimate President,” indicating that he will not be removed from power without a struggle. Yanukovych was forcibly removed from office by the Ukrainian parliament in response to massive, violent protests throughout the country. Original protests centered around Yanukovych’s decision to pursue a financial connection between Russia and the Ukraine rather than a European agreement. Protests continue even after his removal, as pro- and anti-Russian  citizens face off in a civil war of affiliation and independence.

The continuing protests are spurred primarily by a growing unrest in the country as to whether or not the Ukrainian region of Crimea is rightfully a part of Russia, and whether or not the city should formally secede from Ukraine. While the Russian foreign minister declared that Russia would not intervene in the conflict with any show of military force, Russian president Vladimir Putin authorized military exercises that leave many questioning whether Russia is capable of distancing themselves from the issue.

As the country scrambles for control in a politically tenuous climate, Ukrainian citizens may be facing some serious divisions as parts of the country turn toward Europe, while other parts turn to Russia. The discovery that former president Yanukovych had accumulated a fortune at the expense of his struggling countrymen also throws the economic state of Ukraine into the unknown. While Russia offered financial support, the offer is likely to be withdrawn if the country truly does turn toward western European countries. In any event, the people of Ukraine will have some difficult decisions to make in the coming months, and there is no telling whether these protests will fade or grow in power.