KIEV, Ukraine — Furious about President Viktor F. Yanukovich’s decision to scrap political and trade accords with Europe, Mykola Nomonko shut his auto parts store in the western city of Staryi Sambir, piled his five employees into a minibus and drove to Kiev, the capital, to protest. It was Sunday, Nov. 24. Nearly two weeks later, he is still here.
Like many of the thousands of demonstrators occupying Independence Square and several public buildings in Kiev, Mr. Nomonko said he would not leave until Mr. Yanukovich was ousted. “He has to resign,” he said. “People became so angry that they will stand here to the end — to the happy end of Yanukovich’s career. We wait for the political death of Viktor Yanukovich.”
Leaders of the protest movement have dropped their demand for Mr. Yanukovich’s removal, acknowledging that there is virtually no legal way to oust him and that a voluntary resignation is unlikely. But demonstrators on the streets insist that they will not relent without changes at the highest levels of government.
“I think we have enough stamina,” said Mr. Nomonko, who celebrated his 45th birthday at the protest.
Amid rumors that Mr. Yanukovich cut a secret deal with Russia on Friday during a meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin in Sochi, Russia, the anger at him has become an increasingly volatile and unpredictable force.
The Ukrainian and Russian governments denied the rumors, despite public comments by the Ukrainian prime minister, Mykola Azarov, who said progress had been made toward a sweeping strategic partnership. The denials did little to reassure protesters, who say they do not trust the leaders of either country.
Developments may start unfolding more rapidly now that Mr. Yanukovich is back in Ukraine after visits to China and Russia. Protesters are planning their biggest event yet on Sunday: a rally they hope will put a million people on the streets.
Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, the leader in Parliament of the opposition Fatherland party, said protest leaders were now focused on persuading Mr. Yanukovich to fire Mr. Azarov and the rest of the government. Other demands include the release of protesters who have been arrested and detained, and changes to the Constitution to reverse recent expansions of presidential authority.
Many Ukrainians felt betrayed by Mr. Yanukovich’s decision to abandon far-reaching trade and political accords with Europe last month, particularly because he had promised for more than a year that he would sign them. A decision to join Russia’s customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan would enrage the crowds gathered in Kiev and other cities and could set off violence.
“These people are motivated,” said Yaroslav Pylynskyi, director of the Kiev office of the Kennan Institute, an American research organization. “They know what they want politically. They say ‘korruptzia zadrala’ — corruption is tearing us to pieces.”
Serhiy Vlasenko, a lawyer for the jailed former Prime Minister Yulia V. Tymoshenko, said the uncertainty about Mr. Yanukovich’s talks with Mr. Putin had raised tensions. “The situation is absolutely unpredictable, and any small thing could make it burn,” Mr. Vlasenko said at the occupied Trade Unions building here, which has become a de facto headquarters of the protest movement. “The situation could be uncontrollable.”
Adding to the tension is the growing urgency of an economic crisis. Ukraine is in desperate need of cash, and ultimately needs an aid package of $18 billion or more. Without assistance, experts say, the economy could crash within two months.
At the moment, aid seems most likely to come from Russia, which not only can inject cash but also controls the price Ukraine pays for natural gas.
On Friday, Mr. Azarov, the prime minister, said Mr. Yanukovich and Mr. Putin had made progress on a sweeping strategic agreement to ease economic and trade differences, but denied any discussion of Ukraine’s joining the customs union. In a statement on Saturday, Mr. Azarov said the presidents had focused “exclusively on industrial cooperation, trade and economic relations, and gas issues.”
But protest leaders said they believed that Mr. Yanukovich was working toward a grand accord with Russia. “This deal is a clear-cut precondition for joining the customs union,” said Mr. Yatsenyuk, the opposition leader.
Like many of the thousands of demonstrators occupying Independence Square and several public buildings in Kiev, Mr. Nomonko said he would not leave until Mr. Yanukovich was ousted. “He has to resign,” he said. “People became so angry that they will stand here to the end — to the happy end of Yanukovich’s career. We wait for the political death of Viktor Yanukovich.”
Leaders of the protest movement have dropped their demand for Mr. Yanukovich’s removal, acknowledging that there is virtually no legal way to oust him and that a voluntary resignation is unlikely. But demonstrators on the streets insist that they will not relent without changes at the highest levels of government.
“I think we have enough stamina,” said Mr. Nomonko, who celebrated his 45th birthday at the protest.
Amid rumors that Mr. Yanukovich cut a secret deal with Russia on Friday during a meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin in Sochi, Russia, the anger at him has become an increasingly volatile and unpredictable force.
The Ukrainian and Russian governments denied the rumors, despite public comments by the Ukrainian prime minister, Mykola Azarov, who said progress had been made toward a sweeping strategic partnership. The denials did little to reassure protesters, who say they do not trust the leaders of either country.
Developments may start unfolding more rapidly now that Mr. Yanukovich is back in Ukraine after visits to China and Russia. Protesters are planning their biggest event yet on Sunday: a rally they hope will put a million people on the streets.
Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, the leader in Parliament of the opposition Fatherland party, said protest leaders were now focused on persuading Mr. Yanukovich to fire Mr. Azarov and the rest of the government. Other demands include the release of protesters who have been arrested and detained, and changes to the Constitution to reverse recent expansions of presidential authority.
Many Ukrainians felt betrayed by Mr. Yanukovich’s decision to abandon far-reaching trade and political accords with Europe last month, particularly because he had promised for more than a year that he would sign them. A decision to join Russia’s customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan would enrage the crowds gathered in Kiev and other cities and could set off violence.
“These people are motivated,” said Yaroslav Pylynskyi, director of the Kiev office of the Kennan Institute, an American research organization. “They know what they want politically. They say ‘korruptzia zadrala’ — corruption is tearing us to pieces.”
Serhiy Vlasenko, a lawyer for the jailed former Prime Minister Yulia V. Tymoshenko, said the uncertainty about Mr. Yanukovich’s talks with Mr. Putin had raised tensions. “The situation is absolutely unpredictable, and any small thing could make it burn,” Mr. Vlasenko said at the occupied Trade Unions building here, which has become a de facto headquarters of the protest movement. “The situation could be uncontrollable.”
Adding to the tension is the growing urgency of an economic crisis. Ukraine is in desperate need of cash, and ultimately needs an aid package of $18 billion or more. Without assistance, experts say, the economy could crash within two months.
At the moment, aid seems most likely to come from Russia, which not only can inject cash but also controls the price Ukraine pays for natural gas.
On Friday, Mr. Azarov, the prime minister, said Mr. Yanukovich and Mr. Putin had made progress on a sweeping strategic agreement to ease economic and trade differences, but denied any discussion of Ukraine’s joining the customs union. In a statement on Saturday, Mr. Azarov said the presidents had focused “exclusively on industrial cooperation, trade and economic relations, and gas issues.”
But protest leaders said they believed that Mr. Yanukovich was working toward a grand accord with Russia. “This deal is a clear-cut precondition for joining the customs union,” said Mr. Yatsenyuk, the opposition leader.
