Moscow delivers

摘要

In the early hours of December 11, many Kievans woke up to the sound of the bells of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. In ancient times the bells meant an enemy attack on the city. This time the monastery sounded the alarm as riot police in full gear and under the cover of night had surrounded and were trying to disperse a camp of peaceful protesters in the center of Kiev. The demonstrators, braving the bitter Ukrainian winter, have been camped out since November 21, to protest a sudden change in President Viktor Yanukovych's foreign policy. Yanukovych rejected a deal that would have taken Ukraine closer to the EU. Instead, he argued that a strategic partnership with Russia would be better for the country, delivering lower natural gas prices and billions of dollars in economic benefits.