Ukraine: Understanding the #Euromaidan Protests · Global Voices
Danica Radisic

It may seem to many that the #Euromaidan protests in Ukraine grew out of nowhere and overnight, but this is not the case. There is a long history behind the protests and the government's decision to back out of what was supposed to be a historical and significant move toward EU integration was only the last straw for the citizens of Ukraine.
A blogger based in Lviv, Ukraine, wrote a comprehensive explanation of the several elements involved in inciting the protests that started in Kyiv on November 21, 2013 and are now in their second week. In the post titled “Who is behind the Ukrainian protest? A letter from Lviv”, he summarizes:
So, what you should know .
1. Ukrainian market in depended of Russia and Russia wants to absorb such depended markets. So, to save sovereignty of Ukraine (at least more or less) we need to diversify this dependence. And this automatically means more collaboration with EU.
2. The protests are so massive because of real support and euphoria (people didn’t know they still can protest). But that time the opposition wants to use the protests to achieve its own profit.
3. Not all Ukrainians support EU-integration. Those who don’t support don’t know any truth about situation in Greece or in Spain; they just like Russia or they are afraid of homosexuals (Russian propaganda like to intimidate that EU means legal homosexual marriage etc). But frankly speaking those who support EU mostly don’t know much more (I mean about Greece etc).
4. This data: 44% for European Union; 33% for Custom Union.
5. The main interest of both Yanukovych and opposition leaders is victory on 2015 presidential elections.