No deal

The early outlines of the tentative agreement don’t say anything about an early presidential election, criminal prosecution of all who are responsible for violence against demonstrators or resignation of the government.
Rather, the tentative deal – as described – is not a genuine compromise. It would call for peace between protesters and police locked in a tense and sometimes violent standoff since Jan. 19 near Dynamo Stadium. That would be followed by the release of all detainees or softer punishment for them. On Jan. 28, parliament would convene to consider election reform, a new constitution and the resignation of the government. It’s more likely parliament might try to approve a state of emergency in a bid to rid the ruling elite of the protesters, once and for all.
The reaction among people on Independence Square was cool to the outlined deal. It appears Yanukovych is trying to buy some more time without giving any ground. It is hard to say what will happen next.
Whatever does happen next must involve moving the nation back from the brink of continuing civil conflict. It’s not helpful when Yanukovych ignores the public anger, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov calls the protesters “terrorists,” others suggest that anti-Semitism is at the root of the EuroMaidan revolution or that the demonstrators are creatures of the West.
The violence on both sides is worrisome, but the agitators challenging police on the frontlines clearly have the support or acceptance of many middle-class, highly educated supporters of EuroMaidan. They feel that Yanukovych’s authoritarianism and the political opposition have pushed them to take action to restore democracy in the nation. These legitimate aspirations should be respected, not scorned.