You're reading: Update: Yanukovych backers guard Ukraine parliament

Hundreds of supporters of President Viktor Yanukovych threw a cordon around the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday, May 11, to block opposition demonstrators from coming near the building.

Hundreds of supporters of President Viktor Yanukovych threw a cordon around the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday as opposition politicians and demonstrators angrily accused the leadership of selling out the country to Russia.

The ex-Soviet republic is hosting a visit by Kremlin leader Dmitry Medvedev on May 17-18 and tension is high after riots in parliament on April 27 over ratification of an agreement by Yanukovych extending the Russian navy’s stay in Ukraine.

On Tuesday, several hundred members of the pro-Yanukovych Regions Party formed a barrier to the entrance to the parliament building, while police kept back about 3,000 supporters of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko from drawing near.

Tymoshenko, who has seized on the Black Sea fleet issue to re-invigorate the opposition, declared to supporters: "Everything that has happened over Crimea and the Black Sea fleet … was directed at belittling our independence."

"The revision of our borders, the creation of Russia’s influence in Crimea — everything will be cancelled when we have returned a patriotic team to power," she said.

There were no violent scenes inside parliament as there were on April 27 when smoke bombs were thrown and pro-Yanukovych and opposition deputies brawled before the fleet agreement was ratified.

But Ivan Kirilenko, leader of the pro-Tymoshenko BYuT faction, warned the Yanukovych leadership was preparing to sign agreements next week with Medvedev on vital issues without any public debate or consultation.

"Society and the public should know what is going on and in what conditions various issues are being decided, either aviation construction, ship-building or energy …." he told parliament.

POLICY U-TURN

The opposition says the trade-off in Kharkiv on April 21 between Yanukovych and Medvedev for for the Russian fleet to stay in the Crimean port of Sevastopol until 2042 in exchange for cheaper gas was worked out without any broad consultation.

The deal marked a U-turn back towards Moscow by Yanukovych after the anti-Russian policies of his predecessor, Viktor Yushchenko.

Yanukovych, elected in February, has justified the Kharkiv deal by saying increased rent from the fleet and the cheaper gas will bring billions of dollars into the economy in coming years.

But the deal has split public opinion roughly between Russian-speaking east and south, including Crimea, which support Yanukovych, and the Ukrainian-speaking west and centre.

An opinion poll by the KIPU sociology centre found that 56.5 percent of Ukrainians favoured the extension of the fleet’s stay until 2047 — giving the nod to an extension of a further five years which is allowed under the April 21 Kharkiv agreement.

"Yanukovych! Halt! Do not sell Ukraine out!" and "Let us unite for the defence of Ukraine!" read slogans hoisted aloft by supporters from Tymoshenko’s BYuT bloc and the Ukrainian nationalist Svoboda party outside parliament.

"We support the actions of President Yanukovych!", "No to the revolutionaries!" ran slogans held up by supporters of the Regions Party.

The divided public opinion was reflected in comments outside parliament.

"I have worked 45 years in this country not for it to be given away as Yanukovych is doing now. It is my country. I treasure it. We must unite and get rid of these people in power," said 58-year-old Maria Stepanovna. But another pensioner who gave her name only as Elena said: "We support the actions of those in power and that is why I have come today."