by Stephen Lendman

A previous article explained overwhelming anti-regime opposition. Ordinary people are fed up with economic conditions creating enormous hardships - ignored to enrich privileged interests and wage war on Donbass.

Sporadic protests erupted various times before - again Monday in front of parliament violently after police stopped thousands from storming the building, led by Right Sector Nazis, likeminded Svoboda party extremists and other ultranationalist elements.

Whether Monday’s violence signals the beginning of Maidan 2.0 remains to be seen. Elements involved include the most extremists segments of Ukrainian society - hooligan supporters of Nazi-era Stepan Bandera’s Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN-B). He collaborated in mass executions and ethnic cleansing.

If these elements gain power, fascist Ukraine on steroids will follow. The entire country could explode in violence - a reign of terror in Europe’s heartland, perhaps spilling cross-border, affecting neighboring countries Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Russia, potentially embroiling the entire continent in conflict.

Live fire and a grenade thrown at police exploded during Monday clashes. Reports indicated five or more security forces killed, 10 hospitalized in serious condition, and scores of people wounded.

Internal affairs minister Arsen Avakov reported 100 or more injured, likely many more casualties if disruptions continue.

Dozens of arrests were made. “Investigation and punishment are inevitable,” said Avakov. “Around 30 people are detained. There will be more. The person who threw the grenade has been caught. Grenades have been seized, including an F1 maximum destruction grenade.”

Russia’s lower house State Duma International Affairs Committee chairman Alexey Pushkov commented on Monday’s riot saying:

“(Ultra)nationalists in Ukraine want to assert full and unquestionable power of radical forces. (N)either Merkel nor Hollande nor the Minsk agreements will help.”

Poroshenko “has to maneuver. He has to show Europe that he controls the situation in the country. However, I think that he can manage it less and less. And today’s events in Kiev demonstrate that (he) does not have complete control over the situation.”

He may be losing it altogether. He’s an impotent puppet taking orders from Washington. Pushkov expects continued deterioration.

“The Kiev regime will try to prove that Ukraine is a European country ready to accept the so-called European values,” he said. “But the Right Sector and the Svoboda party and other ultra-nationalist groups using Nazi ideas are not ready to accept the so-called European values.”

“They are ready to fight only for ultra-nationalist dictatorship in Ukraine. Here, I see a considerable conflict potential between Poroshenko and” and anti-regime elements.

Their alleged anger over constitutional decentralization amendments is misguided. They reject special status for Donbass. Poroshenko was clear in opposing it - flagrantly violating Minsk terms.

Whether turbulence in Kiev can be contained remains to be seen. Maybe Monday’s eruption is the start of something bigger.

-###-

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.