The international implications of the Ukrainian upheaval

Mark Almond at the UK Daily Mail explains a few things such as that, for all the common-folk protestors involved in the overthrow of Yanukovich, what will emerge in terms of a governmental structure will be decided, as is usually the case, by those with guns.

Sadly, Ukraine’s peaceful protesters are being marginalised by the reality that in a revolution, political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. 

When Klitschko tried to persuade them to accept the EU-brokered compromise deal, he was booed off the stage in Kiev.

And Western hopes that the Russian naval base in Crimea might, as a result of gradual Russian acceptance, be turned over to Ukraine are not founded on what is likely.

Nato has never wanted Russia’s forces in the Crimea, but nor does Washington want to see any violent effort to force them out.Bill Clinton famously declared that keeping Crimea in Ukraine and away from Russia was in America’s national interest. But he hoped that over time Russia would accept an independent Ukraine and withdraw its fleet.Today, when ethnic Russians are rallying in Crimea and other parts of Eastern Ukraine, the risk of a clash between radicals on both sides is rising. 

Almond also mentions Ukraine's possible credit default, as the fact that no other potential contenders for the presidential election set for May besides Yulia Tymoshenko.

Putin has been handed a bad hand of cards at present, but it's pretty certain that he's not going to be passive about what unfolds in Ukraine from here.