Will Ukraine Be the Next Yugoslavia?

When children released white doves on St. Peter's Square as part of Pope Francis's prayer for peace in Ukraine on Sunday, the birds were immediately attacked by a crow and a seagull. Facile as the symbolism may seem, it's an appropriate reflection of how dire the situation has become: The rising hostility between radical protesters and President Viktor Yanukovych is threatening to turn a nation of 46 million into another Yugoslavia.

Angered by the deaths of three protesters last week, Ukrainians hostile to Yanukovich have seized local government buildings throughout the nation. As of Jan. 27, the rebels controlled administrative buildings throughout western Ukraine, in three central regions and in the capital, Kiev, according to a map published by the web site Inspired.com.ua. Only in Donetsk, Yanukovych's home base, and in the pro-Russian Crimea have there been no attempts to seize power. Riot police managed to put down rebellions in four regional centers -- Sumy, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye and Cherkasy.