KIEV, Ukraine (AP/WMOT) — A mid-state political scientist who specializes in the study of the former Soviet states says the current tug-of-war between Europe and Russia over the fate of Ukraine will likely continue for some time.
On Tuesday, Ukraine's opposition failed in its attempt to force out the government with a no-confidence vote in parliament.
The failure leaves Ukraine's political tensions unresolved, with opposition demonstrators still angered by the president's shelving of an agreement with the European Union and by police violence against protesters denouncing that decision.
Middle Tennessee State University’s Dr. Andrei Korobkov says that in one sense the current turmoil is a good sign. He says it proves Ukraine’s current president has failed in his attempts to emulate Russian leader Vladimir Putin by moving toward more authoritarian control.
"In this sense, even though we see disturbances, we see a lot of political corruption, the situation is better than in Russia probably, because nobody is able to introduce complete political monopoly. Nobody can control this society completely."
The ongoing turmoil in Ukraine has brought crowds as big as 300,000 to the streets of Kiev, the largest outpouring of public anger since the country’s 2004 Orange Revolution.