Ukraine's European Revolution?

[Liep]

Any clause about how the election is held and who will be allowed to monitor it?

[Admiral Yi]

Cool that Poland was involved.  Really the model New European in a lot of ways.

[Maximus]

All I can say is that this deal sounds about almost as good as the West could hope for.  I sure hope it works, prevents further bloodshed, and results in a change of President later this year.

You are probably right, but there's a real fear that the protesters won't leave while Yanukovytch is still in power.

[Malthus]

Oleh needs to get over himself.

Clearly a John Hancock wannabe. 

[derspiess]

Heh, our foreign minister doing something worthwhile? Haven't seen that for years...

Must... not... make... Ribbentrop joke.

[Barrister]

All I can say is that this deal sounds about almost as good as the West could hope for.  I sure hope it works, prevents further bloodshed, and results in a change of President later this year.

You are probably right, but there's a real fear that the protesters won't leave while Yanukovytch is still in power.

Some won't, but if enough do leave, then the protests can quietly peter out.

[derspiess]

Oleh needs to get over himself.

Clearly a John Hancock wannabe. 

It's *Herbie* Hancock.  Duh...

[Duque de Bragança]

Wow, Fabius...
Fabius to be busy to be there himself? More pressing antiques to deal with or what (he famously got an exception for antiques in the wealth tax in the '80s).

[Habbaku]

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2014/02/21/ukraine-presidency-crisis-deal-agreed

Ukrainian parliament votes to allow release of jailed opposition figure Yulia Tymoshenko

[DGuller]

The one things that is a little concerning is how pliable the constitution is.  What's the safeguard against another amendment that again undoes what was agreed upon, other than the threat of another bloodbath?

Ultimately, it is the threat of a bloodbath - or rather, the loss of legitimacy and hence loss of power, that may lead to a bloodbath - that underpins all constitutions, rather than their specific terms. The best-drafted, most binding terms in the world are worthless if the government can effectively get away with ignoring them. 

What interests me is whether the army was sounded out on crushing the protesters by force - and indicated it would refuse.

That is true, but at the same time pliable constitutions are more vulnerable to the frog in boiling water approach, where protections are eroded gradually and imperceptibly to the masses.

[Queequeg]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Monument_of_the_SS-Galicia_in_Lviv_Ukraine.jpg

Charming!

[DGuller]

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2014/02/21/ukraine-presidency-crisis-deal-agreed

Ukrainian parliament votes to allow release of jailed opposition figure Yulia Tymoshenko

Crap, there goes the revolution. 

[Valmy]

No love for Yulia Tymoshenko?  Isn't she the pro-EU leader?

[derspiess]

http://www.interpretermag.com/ukraine-liveblog-day-4-yanukovych-teeters/

1620 GMT: A potentially highly significant report from Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine's 4th largest city located in the southeast. It appears that police may have peacefully surrendered to protesters there:

Well that's an odd sight.

[Admiral Yi]

No love for Yulia Tymoshenko?  Isn't she the pro-EU leader?

She's kind of a flake.