The Euromaidan turned bloody last week, as the first fatalities of the protest were recorded. Protests expanded into Ukraine's regions and defiant protest leaders in Kyiv said they were ready to continue talks with the government, even as President Viktor Yanukovych's options appeared to dwindle in advance of what could be a decisive special session of Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday.
Join RFE/RL senior correspondent Natalia Churikova, Ukrainian politician and former Defense Minister Anatoliy Grytsenko, and Institute for Mass Information Executive Director Oksana Romaniuk for a Google+ Hangout on the most recent developments in Ukraine on Wednesday, January 29. The discussion will be moderated by Freedom House President David Kramer.
Google+ Hangout -- The Future of Euromaidan
Watch the Hangout here:
Wednesday, January 29
12 noon (Washington, DC) / 6 p.m. (Prague) / 7 p.m. (Kyiv)
Natalia Churikova - began her career as an economic correspondent with an interest in foreign policy, especially European and Euro-Atlantic integration. A journalist with RFE/RL since 1995, Churikova launched in 2005 the program "European Liberty" (later "Europe Connect"), which features topics selected by an online audience and secures answers to audience questions from people living in western Europe.
Anatoliy Grytsenko - is a former Defense Minister (2005-2007) and candidate in Ukraine's 2010 presidential election, who recently submitted his resignation from Ukraine's parliament to protest the adoption of the 'dictatorship bills' on January 16. Grytsenko is the chairman of the "Civic Position" party.
David J. Kramer - is President of Freedom House, which he joined in October 2010. Prior to joining Freedom House, Kramer was a Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Before joining GMF, Kramer served as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor from March 2008 to January 2009. He also was a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, responsible for Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus affairs as well as regional non-proliferation issues. Previously, he served as a Professional Staff Member in the Secretary of State’s Office of Policy Planning. Kramer has also served as an Adjunct Professor at the Elliott School for International Affairs at The George Washington University. Additionally, Kramer is a member of the board of directors of the Halifax International Security Forum.
Oksana Romaniuk - has served as Executive Director of the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) since August 2013. Prior to leading IMI, she coordinated the projects of the International Federation of Journalists in 7 countries of the former Soviet Union (2011-2012). She has worked at the UNIAN news agency, where she founded its English language service and served as a correspondent. Romaniuk is active in the Stop Censorship! movement in Ukraine and has served as the Ukraine representative of Reporters Without Borders.
We invite you to post questions in advance and follow updates for live links to the Google+ Hangout on Twitter and Facebook.