Ukraine no longer has a president.

The increasingly hostile clashes between the pro-Russian government and pro-EU protestors has spilled over into the Presidential Palace.

Three days ago, security forces fired live ammunition against protestors, breaking a truce between the factions and dramatically escalating the conflict.

As a result of this escalation, protestors began to resort to more militant tactics, leading to pitched battles in areas near and in Kiev. Amidst this violence, President Viktor Yanukovych fled the capital after his bodyguards refused to protect him and members of his party and the police defected to the opposition. Within a day of Yanukovch’s escape, Parliament official stripped him of power.

The military has promised not to intervene, and Yanukovych’s archrival, former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, has been released from hospital. It is widely speculated that she will run for President when elections are held in late May.

Much of this came as a surprise to outside observers, as it appeared Yanukovich and the opposition were near a deal in negotiations.

However, the violence did motivate the U.S. and other Western allies to imposed sanctions on individuals within Yanukovich’s government.

Yanukovych and his remaining allies have described this move by the protestors and parliament as an illegal coup d’état. The protestors claim that they were ousting a thuggish leader bent on using violence to maintain political power.

We here at US Democrazy want to know what you think of these development–What’s the latest you’ve heard about the events in the Ukraine?