Between ceasefire and bloodbath: timeline of the 18-21 February 2014 events

Radical Euromaidanites win against 'moderates' and EU. Parasyuk's famous speech, accompanied by coffins. The sniper massacre destroys deadlock.

In mid-February 2014 President Yanukovych was trying to come to an agreement with the official leaders of the EuroMaidan opposition – Yatsenyuk, Klitchko, Tyahnibok, and Turchynov, to name some of the most influential.

There are endless news updates about this from the media of the time. I made a timeline of events of Yanukovych-Opposition negotiations and the protests against these agreements by EuroMaidan radicals. The following is based on news updates from Ukrainskaya Pravda, Ukraine's biggest liberal media source – USAID funded and very influential, especially during maidan.

The big split was between the official opposition and the EU on the one side, which was fine with early elections in December 2014, a return to 2004 constitution (reducing power of the president), release of political prisoners, and the radicals (right sector/automaidan, to name the most visible ones) one the other side, who wanted Yanukovych gone immediately, with total lustration of his elite.

The turning point that resolved this deadlock was the mysterious sniper massacre of 18-20 February 2014. The official, ‘moderate’ opposition also agreed on an official investigation into the sniper deaths, involving global investigators.

If you examine the the Open Society-adjacent, hyper-maidanite media analysis site 'detektor' throughout January and February 2014, you will notice that it is obsessed with and terrified by tendencies in the oligarchic media towards supporting a compromise with Yanukovych which would allow him to stay in power with reduced powers. 

Indeed, by January-late February, the big oligarchs and the media groups that expressed their interests were started to move back towards Yanukovych, after having initially supported EuroMaidan in November-December 2013. The big oligarchic media groups like inter, UT-1 were only catalyzed to become pro-maidan again by the 18-21 February sniper killings. 

There were several reasons why EuroMaidan activists were worried that the official EuroMaidan leaders would ‘sell out’ the movement and agree to let Yanukovych stay in power until the December 2014 elections. First, they remembered the experience of the 2004 Orange Revolution, where a compromise with Yanukovych (in their minds) led to betrayal of the revolution and a weak, divided post-revolutionary government. Second, they feared arrest for participation in the violence of January 16 2014 (and other events).

It is also possible that after the sniper massacre of February 18-21, the radicals feared that if Yanukovych remained in power, any investigation into the sniper events would lead to prosecution of the snipers on the maidan side. While Katchanovski has examined how even the biased post-maidan investigation into the sniper massacre found a great deal of evidence showing Maidan involvement, there were no real consequences for those implicated. If Yanukovych stayed in power, things might have been different.

Volodymyr Parasiuk, the man whose speech on the 21^st of February led to the final end of negotiations and the fleeing of Yanukovych, was a key leader of the pro-maidan sniper group which killed maidan protestors to torpedo negotiations (see Katchanovski, Katchanovski, Hahn )

Here is the famous video from the 21st of February, where Volodymyr Parasiuk gives his fateful speech. Before maidan, the Lviv-based Parasiuk was a member of the ultraright ‘Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists’, which is one of the groups that composed Right Sector. It was originally lead by one of the children of the original OUN (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, World War 2 Nazi collaborationist fascist organization) leader Yaroslav Stetsko. This speech was widely considered a turning point of maidan, when no more negotiations with Yanukovych were possible.

He says 'A hundred of us came here. We are not in any organization, we are ordinary people of Ukraine who came to defend their rights. We are not from Right Sector, not from Maidan self-defense groups, we are just a fighting sotnya [the term for Maidan fighting units]. And I want to tell you that we, ordinary people, say to our politicians who stand behind me: "No Yanukovych will be president for a whole year. He must leave by ten o'clock tomorrow. This is the first requirement! My brother from Yavoriv region was shot dead, he is survived by his wife and small child, and our leaders are shaking hands with this murderer. Shame! Once more. Dear brothers, compatriots, Ukrainians, I tell you honestly, I swear - I am not from any organization, there is a sotnya of us who were in this building ( points away from the scene, seems like towards the hotel ukraina or conservatory where the snipers were - as Katchanovski writes, Parasyuk is well known for leading the sniper group in conservatory and probably elsewhere)… (pants heavily)… We have made a turning point - everyone! We gave politicians a chance to become ministers and presidents in the future. And they don't want to fulfill ONE CONDITION: for the criminal (Yanukovych) to go away! Friends, I won't be verbose, I don't want to do stupid dialogues here, which we have been fed for two and a half months. I do not believe in these difficult political processes that they talk about. 77 men put their heads down forever, and they negotiate. I am asking you very much: support this thing - I am telling you from my sotnya, where my father is who came here - if you do not make a statement by ten o'clock tomorrow for Yanukovych to resign, we are going to storm (the president's office/parliament) with weapons! I swear to you! 

This speech is remarkable. It was one of the events that cowed the Yanukovych elite into fleeing, or not resisting the maidan takeover of government. It took place after 2 days of large-scale murder, with mysterious sniper groups killing up to 100 protestors and members of state security forces. In his speech, Parasiuk, seems to claim that he was in the building where the snipers were - the fact that Maidan forces occupied buildings where sniper shots came from is one of the many pieces of evidence that points towards Maidan orchestration of the sniper massacre. Furthermore, he states that ‘we have made a turning point’ - this also seems like a dark insinuation regarding his own involvement in the sniper massacre. The purpose of the sniper massacre false flag was to discredit the Yanukovych government so that it would leave immediately, as per the desire of EuroMaidan activists. Here, Parasyuk castigates those, such as EU representatives and official Maidan leaders, who still speak of compromises with the Yanukovych government.

It should be noted that I don’t think that there was a very clear distinction between the official opposition and ‘radical maidan’. They both cooperated greatly, including on the sniper massacre. But the topic of their links and possible disagreements is outside of the scope of this document.

The next section will describe

Events

All of the following is taken from the internet archives of ‘Ukrainska Pravda’/’Ukrainian Truth’ for February 2014. It should be noted that while there were numerous deaths on maidan on the 18th of February, several more on the 19th, most of the mysterious sniper deaths took place on the 20th of February. In later posts I will try to make a more detailed timeline of the maidan sniper events from the 18th to 20th of February.

The main important events are that at some point around 10PM on the 19th of February, there was some kind of compromise agreement made between Maidan official leaders and the Yanukovych government, but that this compromise agreement was then destroyed by the bloodbath that erupted early morning on the 20th of February. You can make your own conclusions about who was interested in violence that day.

15 Feb: Opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko supports a compromise solution whereby a opposition candidate would become prime minister of Ukraine on condition that protestors are released, no criminal charges are made against protestors, opposition figures head other parts of the government including security forces, and EU association is signed

16 Feb Opposition leaders Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Oleh Tyahnibok (leader of the rightwing party Svoboda) state they are creating an opposition government. This implies they support the compromsie solution of early elections, rather than immediate removal of Yanukovych. Their demands do not include immediate resignation of Yanukovych

18 Feb: Opposition leader Vitaliy Klitchko states that he supports early elections, and urges Yanukovych to push on loyal parliamentarians to vote for a return to the 2004 constitution

18 Feb: Yanukovych spokesperson states that he spent the day meeting with top opposition leaders to try come to an agreement. Member of Oleksandr Turchynov's party (‘Fatherland’, which was also led by Tymoshenko) says that Turchynov met with Yanukovych the same day. Turchynov spokesman says that they want a return to the 2004 constitution. 

18 Feb: Official opposition leader Yatsenyuk calls for a ceasefire to stop bloodshed on maidan

19 Feb morning: Official opposition leader Klitchko says that negotiations with Yanukovych aren't going well

19 Feb evening: Yanukovych said that negotiations are continuing and must be intensified

19 Feb late night: Kluyev, anti-maidan head of Presidential Administration, meets with Yatsenyuk. They discuss a peaceful settlement. Anna Herman, spokeswoman for Yanukovych, says that they are happy that Yatsenyuk supposedly distanced himself from radicals that were trying to ruin negotiations

19 Feb late night:

Yatsenyuk says that the authorities agreed to not storm maidan and clear protestors.

February 20, 1AM

Dmytro Yarosh, the leader of the Right Sector, posts on Facebook: "I've heard that Mr. Yakimenko (head of the SBU) has announced an 'Anti-Terrorist Operation'. In this regard, the 'Right Sector' announces the conduct of an action to force the regime guards to peace," said Yarosh.

He also added, "Someone there wants to stop the popular uprising by declaring a fake ceasefire."

"I officially declare, the 'Right Sector' has not signed any agreements and has not negotiated with anyone about anything, so the uprising of the people must continue," added Yarosh.

20 Feb morning: Kluyev says in interview with European publication that a constitutional treaty may be signed. Says that Yanukovych is ready to make compromises, reduce power of president, make constitutional changes, but that it must be done legally. Says that this will take two, three weeks to go through due procedure. Kluyev says that draft proposal by opposition to return to 2004 constitution immediately is illegal, that parliament cannot change the constitution by itself, it must be sent to constitutional court to be changed. Says that it is possible to return to 2004 constitution, but only through due procedure.

20 Feb morning: opposition leader Turchynov urges maidan not to storm Verkhovna Rada while it votes on reducing Yanukovych;s power

20 Feb evening: Polish PM says he supports Yanukovych idea of early elections in 2014

20 Feb night: parliament votes for (236 for) resolution condemning violence in Ukraine. Opposition leaders such as Yatsenyuk, Tyagnibok, Poroshenko support it: the resolution obliges to cease fire, troops and explosives must return to the places of permanent deployment. The resolution also prohibits the use of weapons. Also, the resolution prohibits blocking transport communications and restricting the movement of transport. The Cabinet of Ministers and state authorities are instructed to prohibit the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the armed forces and other bodies from implementing the program of anti-terrorist measures, as they contradict the Constitution. In addition, the resolution emphasizes that only the Verkhovna Rada can impose a state of emergency. In addition, in the amendments proposed by Volodymyr Lytvyn, the Cabinet of Ministers and other state authorities are instructed to provide the necessary assistance to the families of the victims, as well as to provide the necessary treatment to the injured. And the Prosecutor General's Office is obliged to conduct a full investigation of the facts of death and violence against the participants of the actions. Tyagnibok's amendment states that the pre-trial investigation authorities must apply to the court for release from custody and termination of criminal prosecution of protest participants.

21 Feb morning: liberal-nationalist groups Democratic Alliance and Civil Sector (lead by Ihor Lutsenko and historical memory warrior Volodymyr Vyatrovych) hold rally against negotiations with Yanukovych, calling for his immediate resignation

21 Feb midday: President Viktor Yanukovych initiates early presidential elections and a return to the 2004 constitution. "I declare that I am initiating early presidential elections," the statement said. "I also initiate a return to the 2004 Constitution with a redistribution of powers to the side of the parliamentary republic," he emphasized. "I call for the start of the procedure of forming a government of national trust," Yanukovych also noted. "As the president and guarantor of the Constitution, today I fulfill my duty to the people, to Ukraine and to the Lord God in the name of preserving the state, in the name of preserving people's lives, in the name of peace and tranquility on our land," - he noted. "In these tragic days, when Ukraine suffered such heavy losses, when people died on both sides of the barricade, I consider it my duty to declare in front of the bright memory of the dead that there is nothing more important than human life. And there are no such steps that we all together would should not have done to restore peace in Ukraine," he added.

21 Feb afternoon: Verkhovna Rada reinstates the 2004 Constitution. 386 deputies voted for this decision More than 300 votes are needed to pass this law.

21 Feb afternoon: EU supports the compromise. Tyahnibok also supports it, but demands that the new government exclude Yanukovych hardliners. But this means he supports Yanukovych staying in power temporarily. He wants Zakharchenko, interior minister, and Pshonka, deputy prosecutor general under Yanukovych, to leave.

21 Feb afternoon: Opposition leaders including Yatsenyuk say they have signed an agreement with Yanukovych, ‘We signed the agreement not to split the country... to save people's lives... to preserve our country." According to him, this agreement "provides for early elections, Yanukovych is stripped of his dictatorial powers, and there will be an international investigation."’ To a clarifying question, whether people will have to wait until December, when elections can allegedly be scheduled, Yatsenyuk said that there is no trust in the president - that is why the Europeans have become guarantors of the implementation of the agreement. He hopes that the Maidan movement will accept the signing of the agreement and will not attack state institutions despite the decision of the Maidan Council, as was the case on February 18. "It makes no sense to attack, because we already have our majority in the parliament... And we need to quickly do what the country and the Maidan want,"

21 Feb evening: Rada adopts law preventing persecution of detained protestors.

21 Feb evening: Rada adopts law to suspend Zakharchenko from his position as interior minister. Though the majority votes yes, dispute arises about whether Rada is legally able to do this

21 Feb: Yanukovych’s Party of Regions fraction in parliament loses 28 members in a day. It is disintegrating due to defections

21 Feb evening: Parubiy, rightwing Svoboda opposition leader, calls for early elections, but sooner than December - in ‘2-3 months’ time. Yatsenyuk says that EU supports the agreement with Yanukovych, calls it a ‘capitulation’ but says it’s the only step forward.

21 Feb evening: radical ‘ automaidan’ group condemns all negotiations, calls for immediate resignation of Yanukovych

21 Feb evening: Klitchko booed at maidan due to his negotiations. He is interrupted by Volodymyr Parasiuk. Parasiuk makes his famous speech where he threatens to storm the Verkhovna rada, presidential districts with weapons in hand unless negotiations stop and Yanukovych goes immediately. Klitchko apologizes after, but says that Parasiuk’s threat is unwise.

21 Feb evening: Kluyev starts talking about how the maidan sniper deaths were provoked, says official opposition not to blame, but ‘radical forces’ to blame which wanted to ruin negotiations

21 Feb night: Right Sector says it will not lay down arms until Yanukovych resigns, describes itself as ‘partisan movement against internal occupation’

21 Feb night: Yanukovych flies to Kharkov with presidential administration head Kluyev and parliament speaker Rybak. Never again to return to Kiev.