Ukraine's nationalist forces have threatened to hold mass protests if President Victor Yanukovych annuls the decree awarding the Hero of Ukraine, the country's highest honor, to Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych.
"The Ukrainian president made pledges to Russia concerning the language, church, Shukhevych and Sevastopol. This is something he will run against before he learns to run the state in the interests of the state itself. What are we going to do? Definitely, we will stage serious protests," Ihor Mazur, leader of the Kyiv branch of the UNA-UNSO nationalist organization, said at a news conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Such steps by the Ukrainian authorities will help the nationalist forces to unite and resist decisions running counter to national interests, he said.
"I think Yanukovych’s mistakes will encourage differentiation between the liberals and nationalists. Nationalists remain strong enough to stage mass rallies. If the issue of Sevastopol is raised, hundreds of thousands of people would be ready to take to the streets. We could organize serious rallies in Kyiv during the week," he claimed.
During his visit to Russia on March 5 Yanukovych said the Ukrainian government would consider canceling the title of Hero of Ukraine bestowed on World War II figures Bandera and Shukhevych by former President Viktor Yuschenko before celebrations marking the 65th anniversary of the defeat against Nazi Germany in May.
