NEWSLINK: Ukraine riot police move in on Kiev protesters after 14 die; Protesters battle police in Kiev after Russia renews aid

[“Ukraine riot police move in on Kiev protesters after 14 die; Protesters battle police in Kiev after Russia renews aid”/update of “Protesters battle police in Kiev after Russia renews aid” – Reuters – Pavel Polityuk, Richard Balmforth – February 18, 2014 – reuters.com/article/2014/02/18/us-ukraine-idUSBREA1G0OU20140218]

Reuters covers deadly clashes between Ukrainian police and protesters in Kiev.  The death toll is rising, just a day after Russia helped prop up the Ukrainian government and Russian influence with $2 billion in cash:

Anti-government protesters clashed violently with police in central Kiev on Tuesday, a day after Moscow moved to cement its influence over Ukraine with $2 billion in cash to shore up the former Soviet state’s heavily indebted economy.

The $2 billion injection, a resumption of a $15 billion aid package, was seen as signal that Russia believed President Viktor Yanukovich had a plan to bring street demonstrations under control and had scrapped any idea of bringing opposition leaders into government.

The death toll is reported at 14 and rising:

Ukrainian riot police advanced … onto a central Kiev square occupied by protesters, after at least 14 people died in the worst day of violence since demonstrations erupted against President Viktor Yanukovich 12 weeks ago.

Protesters … responded with petrol bombs, fireworks and stones, as police moved slowly forward, hours after the state security service had set a deadline for the demonstrators to end disorder or face ‘tough measures’.

Live television footage showed the police throwing stun grenades at the protesters separated from them by a line of burning tents, tyres and wood.

Western powers warned Yanukovich against trying to smash the pro-European demonstrations ….

Tuesday is Ukraine’s bloodiest day since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Click here for full article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/18/us-ukraine-idUSBREA1G0OU20140218