Wheel of fortune [By Yang Yongliang/China.org.cn]

Act I of the proxy war in Ukraine ended in favor of the West - the United States and the EU, as their minions are in power for now. But Russia is far from down and out. It has deep political, economic, social, cultural and military ties with the former Soviet republic. Russia is the only country that put a US$15 billion aid plan on the table when Ukraine was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Now, act II is unfolding.

Russia is questioning the legitimacy of the new government. It came to power by means of a classical coup, not through democratic elections. Under the constitution, the president may resign or be impeached, but only after the case is reviewed by the Constitutional Court and then voted in by a three-quarter majority of the Parliament.

There was an extraordinary session of Parliament, which was held after most members were told there would be no session and many had left. And then, under the chairmanship of the radical party Svoboda, this rump parliament declared that the president had resigned.

Yanukovych has declared he is still the legitimate president. He was elected by winning 48.95 percent of the ballot to Tymosheko's 45 percent in a democratic election, called free and fair by international observers. So Western officials and media have launched a campaign to minimize the role of Svoboda and demonize the less than perfect Yanukovych, an antediluvian tactic.

But the neo-Nazi Svoboda and Right Sector, though in the minority, were instrumental in accomplishing the coup. They paved the way for the center-right to take over. And the latter immediately moved to further right. They introduced a resolution to outlaw the Communist Party, which is effectively the only remaining opposition party in Parliament. The consolidation of the power of the speaker of the Parliament and the acting president in a single individual, Olexander Turchynnov, gave him greater power than is allowed under the Ukrainian constitution, and he promptly called for the arrest of Yanukovych.