Ukraine's Dangerous Turn

Ukraines Dangerous Turn - Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com The political showdown between President Viktor Yanukovych and proponents of European-style democracy has taken a dangerous turn with growing repression and violent clashes in the streets. On Thursday Mr. Yanukovych's ruling party in parliament rammed through a series of repressive bills by voice vote and without debate. On Friday the president signed them. He also purged his chief of staff, who supported negotiations with the opposition, along with other officials and the head of the military's land forces. Mr. Yanukovych replaced them with loyalists who support his recent pro-Russia pivot. That set the stage for Sunday's violence at protests that have heretofore been mostly peaceful. Opposition leaders have long warned of "provocateurs" who stir up trouble to give the regime an excuse to crack down. As if on cue, a few among the tens of thousands on Sunday attacked the police, who responded with stun grenades and truncheons. As of our deadline, there were reports that government forces were preparing to clear the encampments in Kiev's Independence Square. The new laws give President Yanukovych unchecked powers. The package is a virtual copy of what the Kremlin has used to put down its opponents, though Ukraine's version carries notably harsher punishment for the newly criminalized offenses of slander, promoting mass unrest and "extremism." Vladimir Putin must be proud of his Ukrainian pupil. Last month, the Russian offered Mr. Yanukovych a $15 billion economic bailout, courtesy of a national fund intended to pay Russian pensions. But as the title of a former Ukrainian president's memoir once put it, "Ukraine isn't Russia." Ukrainians are accustomed to free elections and speech and have forced out everypresident since their liberation from the Soviet Union. Mr. Yanukovych is unpopular and advocare reviews his rejection of the European Union runs counter to the views of the majority in the Slavic state of 46 million. Even business elites from Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine oppose closer integration with Moscow and have hinted at their willingness to break with Mr. Yanukovych. Local authorities in nationalist western and central Ukraine may buck his orders to enforce the repressive laws. A new opposition is also emerging, including Vitali Klitschko, the retired heavyweight boxing champion. Polls say he'd win the presidential election scheduled for 2015, and the government has already passed a law to try to disqualify him from running. Mr. Yanukovych may use his new powers to silence critics and wait out the protests, but he could also lose control. More violence is possible as the crackdown worsens, and in the worst case the country could divide along Ukraine's linguistic and cultural east-west fault line. Mr. Putin's goal is to keep Ukraine out of Europe as part of his plan to rebuild Greater Russia. The Obama Administration ought to move ahead with targeted sanctions against leaders of the regime and leading businessmen who support it. Ditto for the EU, which has been embarrassed by Mr. Yanukovych and outmaneuvered by Russia. Clarifying the price for Kiev's repression could isolate Mr. Yanukovych and force splits in his circle. The West has a moral obligation to stand with the peaceful demonstrators, as well as a strategic interest in seeing a stable and free advocare reviews Ukraine emerge on the eastern frontier of

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