Ousted Ukraine President Now a Fugitive, Wanted For Deaths Of Protesters

It’s been about three days since a pro-Western protest movement ousted Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovich.  But the new authorities in Kiev are moving fast. They have issued an arrest warrant for Yanukovich’s role in the killing of protesters.

“We must find Yanukovych and put him on trial,” one protester told the Guardian.  “All the criminals with him should be in prison."

Ukraine’s ethnic and linguistic divisions have sharpened since Yanukovich spurned a trade deal with Europe in November, sparking a protest movement against Yanukovich. Over the past week, violence has escalated, with government forces cracking down on those who had gathered in Kiev.  Some 82 people, most of them protesters, have been killed by government forces.  But some protesters have also armed themselves.

Yanukovich has now lost control, but he is said to be hiding in Crimea, a pro-Russian area.  Tensions have increased in Crimea, where pro-Russian protesters have fought with police.  

Meanwhile, the West and Russia continue to struggle over the country’s future.  The European Union is attempting to organize an aid package for the battered economy. Russian authorities say the new government in Ukraine has no legitimacy, and that they must protect their own citizens living in the country.  

Fears of a split in Ukraine have risen since the president’s ouster.