Ukraine's President Yanukovich has fled; Uncertainty in Kiev about who's in charge?

[Are_grits_groceries]

@BBCBreaking:
Continuing coverage from #Kiev, as parliament speaker quits & #Ukraine president's whereabouts unclear
http://bbc.in/MKJPEw

@RolandOliphant:
I'm inside the compound of the presidential administration. Deserted

One rumor:
@niktwick:
After airport denied it, Interfax Ukraine now reports that Yanukovych HAS arrived in Kharkiv. Says he's taking part in congress of deputies

Weird.
Nobody is around Yanukovich's party offices and some government buildings are deserted.

[okaawhatever]

1. Kharkiv, near the border of Russia with an international airport. What more could a fleeing politico

ask for?

[Warpy]

2. Interesting, especially since the agreement with the opposition left him in power

until the constitution is rewritten to exclude any other man from becoming a dictator and elections can be held, December or before.

I don't see why he'd wait until now, when things are peaceful, to skedaddle.

He wouldn't be the first dictator who fled rather than share power though.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Left for Kharkov yesterday according to RT

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=735011

Live updates here : http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/22/ukraine-crisis-uncertainty-after-yanukovych-signs-deal-live-updates

[Are_grits_groceries]

4. Everything is deserted in Kiev.

@shaunwalker7
Protesters have entered Mezhyhyria, Yanukovych's estate, which has been abandoned.


You don't leave everything open and unguarded at one place when you visit another unless you have different plans than just a visit.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Would seem so

He's gone to the east of the country by all accords possibly to form a new government.

[Igel]

7. Putin's done that before.

When you can't keep an entire country as a puppet, you arrange for the occupation transfers that occurred when the country was occupied by you to remain loyal. Then you sponsor a break-away "republic" or use enough turmoil and cries of repression to reclaim it. Whatever it takes to keep your empire, can't have those lesser, ungrateful peoples getting uppity. Next thing you know the indigenous folk in the East might want autonomy or even independence (as they murmured about before).

Didn't work in the Baltics, and that was a hard pill to swallow. They got much of Poland after divvying it up with Hitler; they grabbed the Baltics before WWII. But having Koenigsberg there and a trade blockade was enough leverage against the Balts and Estonians when things got rough.

[Adrahil]

8. I was thinking the same thing...

Is Russia preparing to South Ossetia the eastern part of Ukraine?

[jsr]

11. Yep, they're following Plan B.

[TwilightGardener]

6. So weird. Can anyone imagine an American President fleeing the White House, grabbing

his things and hunkering down in Miami? Capitol Hill empty?

[HereSince1628]

9. Yes, I can imagine it,

but due to a DC Snowstorm rather than civil unrest...

[TwilightGardener]

10. Now that is true.