Ukraine Key Points

ReutersUkrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, caught between a rock and Russia's Vladimir Putin.November 22, 2!"EU trade deal shelvedYanukovych's government suddenly halts #lans to sign a #olitical association and trade deal with the $U, o#tingto boost ties with Russia instead. %he sur#rise move comes a&ter several years o& #re#arations and &irm #romises &rom Yanukovych that he would sign the agreement.Andrew Kravchenko/APOpposition protesters clash with riot police in front of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers in Kyiv on Nov. 2..Nove!ber 2"# 2$%&Mass protests beginProtests rock the city of Kyiv. 'hey are the lar(est in the city since the 2$$" Oran(e )evol*tion that re!oved +an*kovych in favo*r of a pro,-estern (overn!ent. Protests contin*e overni(ht as de!onstrators ca!p o*t in a central s.*are# *r(in( +an*kovych to chan(e his !ind and si(n the deal./asily 0edosenko/)e*tersA !an holds a stick as protesters try to break thro*(h police lines near the presidential ad!inistration b*ildin( on 1ec. %.1ece!ber 2$%&Thousands protest in KyivUkrainian opposition leaders call for the +an*kovych (overn!ent to resi(n at a rally of an esti!ated &$#$$$ people. 2t is a day of h*(e e!otion# !arkin( the anniversary of Ukraine3s %44% referend*! on independence fro! the 5oviet Union. Acc*astions of police violence f*rther an(ers the protesters.Vasily 'edosenko(Reuters)u##orters o& Ukrainian $U integration sing and wave &lags during a #rotest in &ront o& the Ukrainian cabinet o& ministers building in *yiv.+ecember ,, 2!"Yanukovych, Putin meetYanukovych meets Russia's Vladimir Putin in the -lack )ea resort o& )ochi to lay the groundwork &or a new .strategic #artnershi#. to shore u# Ukraine's creaking economy. %he meeting comes in de&iance o& enraged #rotesters back home.Nathan +enette(/anadian Press'012hen you look to the west, know that we are looking back at you with great admiration,' /looney says in the video. '1e wish you a #eace&ul and sa&e mission, we wish you the government that you want.'+ecember !, 2!"George Clooney voices support3ctor 4eorge /looney releases a video voicin( his s*pport &or the Ukrainian #rotesters who have been on the streets o& *yiv &or over two weeks.)ergei /hu5avkov(3PU.). 3ssistant )ecretary o& )tate Victoria Nuland says in *yiv on +ec. !! that 'there is a way out &or Ukraine.'+ecember !!, 2!"Opposition spurns talks%he leaders say they will not sit down with +an*kovych until he &ires his government and releases all demonstrators arrested since the #rotests began.)ergei *ar#ukhin(ReutersYanukovich gives a wink to Putin during a signing ceremony a&ter a meeting o& the Russian6Ukrainian 7nterstate /ommission at the *remlin in 8oscow on +ec. !9.+ecember !9, 2!"Russia offers $!" #ailoutP*tin pled(es to buy :!; billion worth o& Ukrainian bonds and cut the #rice o& natural gas shar#ly in an e&&ort to relieve #olitical #ressure on Yanukovych. %hose #ayments would later be sus#ended, then resume as the #olitical games continued.6leb 6aranich/)e*tersA protester at a Kyiv rally holds a pict*re of 7o*rnalist 'etyana Chornovil# who was beaten and left in a ditch ho*rs after p*blishin( an article on the assets of top (overn!ent o8cials.1ece!ber 29# 2$%&Journalist savagely beatenProtesters de!and Ukraine3s interior !inister resi(n after an opposition 7o*rnalist known for doc*!entin( the e:trava(ance of the co*ntry3s political elite was chased down in her car andsava(ely beaten in a !idni(ht attack.4leb 4aranich(ReutersPro6$uro#ean integration #rotesters gather near the entrance to +inamo stadium during clashes with Ukrainian riot #olice in *yiv.nancial aid to Ukraine on 0eb. %B# 7*st as +an*kovych was e:pected to no!inate a new pri!e !inister# pro!ptin( fears a!on( the opposition that he wo*ld tap a )*ssian,leanin( loyalist.0ebr*ary %C# 2$%"At least "# $illed in %ery mayhemA lar(e section of the protest ca!p in the centre of Ukraine3s capital beco!es en(*lfed in Da!es as police advance on de!onstrators./-/'ebruary !@, 2!=,eath toll rises%hick black smoke rises &rom the barricades encircling the #rotest cam# in central *yiv. %housands o& de&iant #rotesters stare down rows o& riot #olice, who have sAuee5ed them dee#er into 7nde#endence )Auare. 3t least 2; are dead and 2=! inDured in the latest violence.)e*ters+an*kovych !ade the state!ent on the presidential website.0ebr*ary %4# 2$%"Truce declaredAfter a !eetin( with opposition leaders# President /iktor +an*kovych declares a Etr*ceE in the violence. Fe also says the parties will be(in Ene(otiations ai!ed at the cessation of bloodshed and stabili##osition leaders and the #residentsi(n a deal that will allow &or an early election, new constitution and a new unity government. %he Ukranian #arliament also votes to release %ymoshenko, the &ormer #rime minister who was serving a seven6year #rison sentence./-/'ebruary 22, 2!=Po&er shift7n a st*nnin( reversal of fort*ne, o##osition icon Yulia %ymoshenko leaves Dail and s#eaks to a massive, adoring crowd, while her arch6&oe President Viktor Yanukovych isdeposed by parlia!ent and decam#s to eastern Ukraine and vows to remain in #ower./-/'ebruary 22, 2!=-yiv fallsProtesters take control o& the #residential administration building and thousands o& curious and contem#tuous Ukrainians roam the suddenly o#en grounds o& the lavish com#ound outside *yiv where Yanukovych was believed to live. Yanukovych says he regards the #arliament as now illegitimate and he won't res#ect its decisions./-/'ebruary 2", 2!=Uncertain futureUkraine remains in a delicate state o& limbo. %he newly emboldened #arliament, now dominated by the o##osition, struggles to work out who is in charge. %he #arliament on )unday assi(ns presidential powerstoits new s#eaker, >leksandr %urchinov./-/'ebruary 2=, 2!=$rrest &arrant for YanukovychUkraine's acting government acc*ses President/iktor+an*kovych o& .mass killing. in the deaths o& #rotesters. Russia shar#ly Auestions its authority, calling it an .armed mutiny.. Yanukovych himsel& has re#ortedly &led to the -lack )ea #eninsula o& /rimea, a #ro6Russian area in Ukraine./-/'ebruary 2;, 2!=Crimea tensions mount+o5ens o& #ro6Russian #rotesters rally in the Ukrainian #eninsula o& /rimea against .the bandits. in *yiv who are trying to &orm a new government E with some even s#eaking o& secession. 3 lawmaker &rom Russia stokestheir #assions &urther by #romising them that Russia will #rotect them./-/'ebruary 2,, 2!=Clash in Crimea0ist>(hts break o*t between #ro6 and anti6Russian demonstrators in /rimea as Russian President Vladimir Putin orders massive military eCercises Dust across the border.*onstantin /hernichkin(Reuters'ebruary 29, 2!=$irport sei.ed/ reports1oant speech fro! the )*ssian city of )ostov,on,1on.March %%# 2$%"(anu$ovych vo's to returnO*sted leader /iktor +an*kovych says he will ret*rn as president to Kyiv. Fe appeals to the ar!edforces to defy any Ecri!inal ordersE handed down by his foes. Pro,)*ssian a*thorities in Cri!ea close the re(ion3s airspace to co!!ercial Di(hts in the b*ild,*p to the referend*!./asily 0edosenko/)e*tersA worker p*ts *p a poster that reads# E'o(ether with )*ssia. March %9 , referend*!E# in the centre of 5i!feropol# the Cri!ean capital.March %2# 2$%".4 to 1ussia* 5ac$ a'ay &rom !rimea'he (ro*p# which incl*des so!e of the world3s top econo!ies in its !e!bership# says a )*ssian,backed referend*! on the stat*s of the Alack 5ea penins*la wo*ld have no le(al e;ect.Andrew @*bi!ov/Associated PressA wo!an casts her ballot at a pollin( station in 5evastopol# Ukraine.March %9# 2$%"!rimea votes to leave U$raine in secession re&erendum'he head of the referend*! co!!ittee in Ukraine3s Cri!ea re(ion says !ore than 4 per cent of votershave approved splittin( o; and 7oinin( )*ssia. /oter t*rno*t e:ceeded C$ per cent# accordin( to a )*ssian news a(ency.Aa< )atner/)e*tersPeople in the Cri!ean city of 5evastopol celebrate the referend*! res*lts to break with Ukraine and 7oin )*ssia.March %B# 2$%"!rimea parliament declares independenceCri!ea3s re(ional parlia!ent declares the re(ion an independent state. )*ssian law!akers have indicated that Moscow will for!ally take control of Cri!ea event*ally.5er(ei Karp*khin/)e*tersCri!ea has for!ally applied to 7oin )*ssia.March %B# 2$%"The +est reacts'he -hite Fo*se i!poses asset freebama levels new sanctions a(ainst senior )*ssian o8cials as Russia all but cements its #lans to anneC /rimea. %he new sanctions also take on wealthy organi5ations and individuals that su##ort the Russian government.4leb 4aranich(Reuters>n a visit to *yiv, UN )ecretary64eneral -an *i6moon urged Ukraine and Russia to meet &or talks to #revent the crisis between them &rom becoming 'uncontrollable.'8arch 2!, 2!=0hat comes ne7t8%wo signatures on o##osite sides o& $uro#e deepen the divide between ?ast and -est, as the $uro#ean Union #ulls Ukraine closer into its orbit and Russia &ormally anneCes /rimea. 8any eyes are now on Russia's neCt move.)ean *il#atrick(%he /anadian PressPrime 8inister )te#hen Gar#er takes #art in a meeting with 49 leaders in %he Gague, Netherlands.8arch 2=, 2!=G4 leaders &on+t attend *ochi summit49 leaders will hold their own s*!!it in Ar*ssels in =*ne instead o& attending the 4? summit with Russia in )ochi, a 'rench di#lomatic source says. %he move comes be&ore a to#6level 49 meeting in %he Gague./-/'/anadian o&&icials named today by Russia aren't oligarchs, they are not #eo#le threatening to anneC #arts o& #eace&ul neighbours by military &orce and we &ind this announcement dee#ly concerning,' -aird said o& the sanctions.8arch 2=, 2!=Russian sanctions a +#adge of honour+Russian President Vladimir Putin im#oses retaliatory sanctions on !" /anadian o&&icials including &ive memberso& the /onservative government, two Biberals and one N+P 8P, banning them &rom entering Russia. 'oreign 3&&airs 8inister bama and Russian President Vladimir Putina(ree in a phone call to have their forei(n !inisters !eet to discuss a #ossible di#lomatic resolution.ver the #ast week, several government buildings in the eastern Ukrainian region o& +onetsk have been occu#ied by armed, Pro6Russian #rotesters.3#ril !2, 2!=Canada imposes more sanctions/anadian 'oreign 3&&airs 8inister