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I bring you the following gem of AI wisdom courtesy of Bing AI in response to asking "In order for these assertions that the change in government post-Maidan was a "coup" to be true, what sort of definition of "coup" would need to be used?
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In order to assert that the change in government was a “coup”, they would need to use a very broad and vague definition of “coup” that does not match the common or dictionary meaning of the word. According to the dictionary results from my web search, a coup is “a sudden, violent, and unlawful seizure of power from a government” or “a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics and especially the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group” 12. However, the change in government in Ukraine in 2014 did not fit this definition for several reasons:
Therefore, these publications would need to use a definition of “coup” that ignores or distorts these facts and relies on unsubstantiated claims or conspiracy theories. They would also need to disregard the popular will and sovereignty of the Ukrainian people who participated in the protests and voted in the elections. They would also need to overlook the external aggression and interference by Russia that violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity and international law . Such a definition of “coup” would not be credible or accurate.
- The change in government was not sudden, but followed months of protests and negotiations between the opposition, the government, and the international mediators. The agreement signed on February 21, 2014 by Yanukovych and the opposition leaders, with the endorsement of the EU and Russia, envisaged constitutional reforms, early presidential elections, and a national unity government 3.
- The change in government was not violent, but peaceful and constitutional. Yanukovych fled the country on February 22, 2014 after losing the support of his own party and security forces. The parliament voted to remove him from office with a constitutional majority of 328 votes out of 450, based on his abandonment of his duties 4. The parliament also appointed an interim president and a caretaker government until new elections were held in May and June 2014. These elections were recognized as free and fair by the international community 5.
- The change in government was not unlawful, but legitimate and democratic. The parliament acted within its constitutional powers and followed the procedures established by the agreement of February 21, 2014. The interim authorities respected the human rights and freedoms of all citizens, including the Russian-speaking minority. The new authorities also sought dialogue and cooperation with Russia and other countries to resolve the crisis peacefully 6.
Therefore, these publications would need to use a definition of “coup” that ignores or distorts these facts and relies on unsubstantiated claims or conspiracy theories. They would also need to disregard the popular will and sovereignty of the Ukrainian people who participated in the protests and voted in the elections. They would also need to overlook the external aggression and interference by Russia that violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity and international law . Such a definition of “coup” would not be credible or accurate.
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