Mass protests in the Ukrainian capital — the largest since the 2005 Orange Revolution — have paralyzed the country, with protesters calling on Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych to not jettison his nation’s move towards integration with the European Union. The President’s unwillingness to release a political rival from prison in late November led to demonstrations and sit-ins that have spotlighted Ukraine’s awkward place on the geopolitical map, split between the influence of an expanding Europe and neighboring Russia.
Kiev’s Pro-West Protests Paralyze Ukraine
Dmitry Lovetsky / AP
Pro-European Union activists guard barricades near the Independence Square in Kiev, early on Dec. 13, 2013.
