Protests Reignite in Ukraine

A House Divided Against Itself: The green areas represent areas of Ukraine where pro-Russian protestors have occupied regional government buildings. The orange area is home to pro-Russian protestors, but these protests have not resulted in much violence yet. The red is Russia who has troops ready to assist along Ukrainian borders.

Less than one month after Crimea voted to separate from Ukraine and join Russia, protests in the ethnic Russian regions of Ukraine are calling for further divisions of the nation. Armed protestors have seized government buildings in the regions of Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Luhansk. The cities of Donetsk and Slovyansk have had the most active protestors. These areas have a large Russian-speaking population that supported the now-ousted Ukrainian prime minister Viktor Yanukovych. The Donetsk protestors first called for a referendum similar to Crimea's, but later changed their demands to autonomy. These pro-Russian protests come after a large military buildup by the nation along Ukraine's border. On Thursday, news arrived that groups in eastern Ukraine have been passing out pamphlets mandating that Jewish Ukrainians register with the government. This move has been highly criticized by the interim government and the United States.

The interim government of Ukraine in Kiev, a city which interestingly went through similar types of protests prior to Yanukovych's impeachment, has called an emergency meeting of the nation's security council. The government in Kiev has offered amnesty to protestors if they leave the buildings and weapons. It also has previously shown willingness to use force to stop the protests, an action that Russia has stated it would condemn.