In the meantime, however, the Germans turned up a trump card: a delegation from the Ukrainian government, known as the Central Rada—socialist but non-Bolshevik—had showed up at Brest-Litovsk. The lead German civilian politician called the group of people in their twenties “young lads” (Burschchen), but on January 27 (February 9 in the West), Germany duly signed a treaty with them.163 Never mind that, by this point, Red Guards from Russia had deposed the Central Rada in Kiev.164 The Central Rada representatives promised Germany and Austria Ukrainian grain, manganese, and eggs in exchange for
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