Yanukovych was a corrupt manipulator who tacked back and forth between the West and Russia. He took funds from the IMF. He continued negotiations with the EU.32 He imprisoned Tymoshenko on corruption charges and used her as a pawn. At the same time, he dallied with Putin and his Eurasian bloc. As his clan enriched itself, his popularity drained and foreign exchange reserves dwindled. On the occasion of the next elections, which he had little hope of winning, it seems that he was preparing the security forces for a showdown.
