Military sends signals to both sides

AFP:
To the president: Ukraine's military on Friday called on President Viktor Yanukovych to take "urgent steps" to ease turmoil in the country, weighing in for the first time on the ex-Soviet nation's worst crisis since independence.

To opposition: The defense ministry said in a statement the seizure of government buildings was unacceptable and warned that "further escalation of the confrontation threatens the country's territorial integrity." (The army may or may not listen to the defense ministry.)

UN gets involved

The UN’s human rights office on Friday called on Ukraine to launch an independent probe of deaths, kidnappings and torture of protesters and their leaders.

“We are appalled by the deaths reported in recent days in Kiev, which should be promptly, thoroughly and independently investigated,” said Rupert Coville, spokesman for the UN high commissioner for human rights.

“We are also calling for an investigation into reports of kidnappings and torture,” he told reporters.

US finally gets involved in the crisis

Finally, today (Friday 1.31.14) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that overtures by Ukraine's embattled president to the country's political opposition have not been enough to resolve the crisis there.

"The offers of President Yanukovych have not yet reached an adequate level of reform and an adequate level of sharing of the future so that the opposition can, in fact, feel that it can legitimately come to the table," Kerry said.

There is also talk of planned Kerry's meeting with opposition leaders. Something that already angered Russians.

Kerry also asked other countries to stay out of the crisis — a warning to Russia.

Obama mentioned Ukraine in his State of the Union

President Obama finally found the time to take a stand, sort of, on the situation in Ukraine:

Our alliance with Europe remains the strongest the world has ever known.  From Tunisia to Burma, we’re supporting those who are willing to do the hard work of building democracy.  In Ukraine, we stand for the principle that all people have the right to express themselves freely and peacefully, and have a say in their country’s future.

 First sentence has never been further from the truth (in other words it's a lie). For example, Poland is so frustrated with this "alliance" that is looking toward EU (France in particular) when it comes to military cooperation and armed forces modernization.

However, more importantly you would expect that Nobel Peace Prize winner in-advance would take stronger stand against tyrannical government and it's sponsor, Putin. It's a shame. He either doesn't really care, doesn't have guts to stand up to Putin, or both.

BTW neither Tunisia nor Burma are in Europe.

Limbaugh and Beck ignore Ukraine

The self declared leaders of freedom and democracy Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh completely ignore the deadly protests in Ukraine. Glenn Beck used to teach the history of communism and fascism. He used to spend hours on the subject. Yet this week he did not find the time to say anything about the dramatic situation in Ukraine. The same for Rush Limbaugh. Too bad. Their voice could persuade GOP and Democrats (maybe even president Obama) to talk about it.