Andriy Sokolov, 27
shop assistant, Sevastopol
“I’ve been here from the beginning of December, I live in a tent. I believe that Ukraine should join the European Union only on normal conditions. If we enter the European Union right now, the plants and mines will be closed and we will lose our jobs. So we will stay here until (the protest at) Maidan disperses.”
Halyna Bernatska, 34
church choir assistant, Cherkasy Oblast
“I’ve decided that we need stability. Our president should be Viktor Yanukovych, as the constitution and law are behind him. Every authority comes from God, no matter who it is… And I don’t understand why (European foreign policy chief) Catherine Ashton visited Maidan and didn’t come to us. Aren’t we also people?”
Yuriy Yavorsky, 52
engineer, Henichesk, Kherson Oblast
“I came to support the president. Did you see that other Maidan? I’m a head of a municipal utility company and I think it is a nightmare what they have done. The city should be clean.”
Maria Kubliy, 26
house wife, Kyiv
“I came here to support our president and Party of Regions. I believe Ukraine should be together with Russia. I was passing through that other Maidan, but I didn’t like it. Police are there; they are beating (people), it is scary there. But here it is fine.”
Artem Stasiuk, 24
businessmen and member of the Party of Regions, Vinnytsia
“We came here from Vinnytsia to support our party. I’m concerned about the political situation in the country. I think this situation can be solved only through a roundtable when all sides of the conflict including opposition, authorities, other parties and members of civic society will get together to discuss and solve the problem.”
Svitlana Pokrasa, 46
shop assistant, Vyshneve
“I’ve been supporting the Party of Regions since 2007 and I’m loyal to this party. I don’t think he (President Viktor Yanukovych) will be able to reach a compromise with opposition leaders. I’ve read the constitution; they have no right to reelect the president until 2015, so he should remain for at least two years.”
