NEW YORK TIMES: ….Any deal that does not include the president’s departure, however, is unlikely to get very far with protesters and it is uncertain whether, in the event of a final deal, the protest movement’s political leadership can deliver the support of an angry base comprising many different groups and factions.…
Earlier Thursday, there had been rumors that Mr. Yanukovych, his police ranks stretched thin, might declare a state of emergency, a move that could herald the deployment of the military to help quell the crisis in the former Soviet republic of 46 million.
But his authority to do so was unclear. Opposition leaders convened a session of Parliament late Thursday, and together with defectors from the pro-government party they passed a resolution obliging Interior Ministry troops to return to their barracks and the police to their usual posts, and prohibiting the use of firearms against protesters. It also asserted that only lawmakers, rather than the president, could declare a state of emergency. Perhaps more than these assertions, the vote was significant for signaling that Mr. Yanukovych had lost control of a majority in Parliament… (more)
EDITOR: If he calls out the military, will they come? Whose side will they be on? Will they take over?
Let’s hope they are not counting on Mr. Obama coming to their rescue. They will have a long wait. I’m guessing much longer than Mr. Putin.