Yanukovych soon to exceed his use to Moscow – One more thing to do

Whether you want to believe that “President” Yanukovych was indeed subject to a nationalist, western backed coup – as both he and The Kremlin would have us believe, or whether you believe that he ran away before an angry Ukrainian population tired of his corrupt, feckless and meandering leadership – he remains the first Ukrainian president to see his citizens killed at the hands of the institutions of state over which he presided.  That place in Ukrainian history is assured and cannot be undone.

If we are to believe Vitaly Churkin, the Russian envoy to the UN, “President” Yanukovych is also the first Ukrainian president to request foreign troops to enter Ukraine – apparently to restore law and order.

That law and order seemingly lost only in Crimea if we are to gauge it by the extent to which Russian troops have entered Ukrainian sovereign territory.

“Under the influence of Western countries, there are open acts of terror and violence.. 

People are being persecuted for language and political reasons.  So in this regard I would call on the President of Russia, Mr. Putin, asking him to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation to establish legitimacy, peace, law and order, stability and defending the people of Ukraine.” was seemingly the request from Viktor Yanukovych.

Whatever the case, the usefulness of Viktor Yanukovych to The Kremlin is rapidly shrinking.

Having bungled the leadership of Ukraine as a Kremlin vassal – certainly during the last months of his residency in Ukraine – he had but two uses to The Kremlin whilst they continued to recognise his legitimacy.

The first has been accomplished – the “legitimate” request for Russia to enter Ukrainian sovereign territory.  The second is likely to occur within a matter of days – weeks at most.

The final useful role The Kremlin has for “President” Yanukovych – together with recently installed Kremlin vassal, Mr Aksenov, as “Prime Minsiter of Crimea” – is to recognise and thus legitimise the referendum in Crimea that will put it firmly within the Russian grasp – whatever the actual question asked in the referendum.

Whilst the result will undoubtedly return the verdict wanted by The Kremlin (it’s not the people who vote that count.  It’s the people who count the votes) – we have to ask what – exactly – the question will be?  Specifically, how it will be worded?  Does The Kremlin seek to engineer de facto control whilst technically leaving Crimea part of Ukraine, establish a protectorate, or de jure (in Moscow’s eyes) annexation and recognition as part of Russian territory?

Whatever the case, after recognising and legitimising the referendum in Crimea, thereafter, Viktor Yanukovych will be freely allowed to fall under any passing bus as Russian political expediency dictates.  His geopolitical/realpolitik usefulness having come to an end.