Netherlands rejects EU-Ukraine partnership deal

Voters in the Netherlands have rejected in a referendum an EU partnership deal to remove trade barriers with Ukraine.

Turnout was low, 32.2%, but above the 30% threshold for the vote to be valid. The deal was rejected by 61.1% of votes, compared with 38.1% in favour.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the government may have to reconsider the deal, although the vote is not binding.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko insisted his country would "continue our movement towards the EU".

A foreign ministry official in Kiev told the BBC that the result was disappointing, adding that Dutch Eurosceptics could not take Ukraine hostage to express dissatisfaction with the EU.

The vote was widely seen in the Netherlands as a test of public opinion towards the EU.

It was triggered by an internet petition begun by Eurosceptic activists that attracted more than 400,000 signatures.

The result creates a headache for the Dutch government, as the Dutch parliament approved the EU association agreement with Ukraine last year. All the other 27 EU member states have already ratified the deal.

"My view is that if the turnout is more than 30%, with such a victory for the 'No' camp, ratification cannot go ahead without discussion," Mr Rutte said in a televised reaction. It is also an embarrassment for a Dutch government that currently holds the EU presidency.

Geert Wilders, who leads the anti-EU and anti-Islam Freedom Party, said the result was the "beginning of the end for the EU".

Officially the Netherlands has rejected a landmark deal between the EU and Ukraine - in reality the issues that dominated this campaign were much wider.

The referendum was triggered by the Eurosceptic movement, which used a new Dutch law designed to promote democracy to force a vote by gathering enough signatures on a petition.

From the start activists said this was a chance for Dutch voters to express frustration at the EU, in particular what they see as its desire to expand despite democratic shortcomings.

But they were not asked to simply pass judgement on the EU, and throughout the campaign those promoting a Yes vote were frustrated by what they saw as attempts by Eurosceptics to hijack a debate which should have been about relations between Ukraine, Russia and Europe.

Some say the multiple layers to this referendum mean the result cannot seen as a true reflection of the scale of Dutch Euroscepticism.

Nonetheless, the rejection of this deal will rattle the nerves of European leaders, who are already struggling to maintain unity in the face of economic instability and the migrant crisis.

Dutch vote cheers anti-EU camp

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The vote comes less than three months before British citizens decide in their own referendum whether to leave the EU altogether.

A spokesman for campaign group Leave.EU, Brian Monteith, said: "This humiliating rejection of the Ukraine agreement demonstrates that people don't have to support the EU and its expansionist agenda to feel European."

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev also appeared to welcome the result, tweeting that it was an indication of the European attitude to Ukraine's political system.

The Russian government was vehemently opposed to the EU deal with Ukraine and was widely thought to have pressed then-President Viktor Yanukovych to reject it in November 2013. Mr Yanukovych's decision prompted protests in Kiev that ultimately led to his downfall.

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have widely been blamed for the killing of 298 people, when a Malaysia Airlines flight from Amsterdam was shot down in July 2014. The Netherlands lost 193 of its citizens.

The Ukrainian president stressed the non-binding nature of the vote.

"I am sure that strategically this event is not an obstacle on Ukraine's path towards Europe," Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Mr Poroshenko as saying.

Dutch Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk accepted the cabinet would need to consider the result but added that the government might need to look again at the 2015 referendum law that triggered Wednesday's vote. The minimum threshold could be based on the number of voters rather than the percentage, he suggested.

One of the Dutch Eurosceptics behind the referendum, Thierry Baudet, said there could be more votes in the future, covering the euro, open borders and any future EU trade deal with the United States.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had described the stakes in the run-up to the vote as being high, warning that a No vote could trigger a wider crisis in the 28-member bloc.

"How will our politicians react if the outcome is a resounding no?" Ukraine's One Plus One TV asked as the polls opened.

In the run-up to the vote, Ukraine's media were abuzz with stories about various Ukrainian initiatives to promote the "Yes" campaign, including what they called an "invasion by propaganda troops" - local politicians and activists travelling to the Netherlands.

Many commentators in Ukraine are now wondering whether Kiev had done enough to counter the No campaign, whose efforts included the distribution of free waffles in wrappers with slogans urging the Dutch to vote against the agreement

Dutch voters have overwhelmingly rejected a Ukraine-European Union treaty on closer political and economic ties, in a rebuke to their government and to the EU establishment.

The broad political, trade and defence treaty – which had already been signed by the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte’s government and approved by all other EU nations, and Ukraine – provisionally took effect in January.

But on Wednesday 64% of Dutch referendum voters rejected it; the turnout was just 32% – barely enough for the result to be valid.

Voters said they were opposing not only the treaty but wider European policymaking on matters ranging from the migrant crisis to economics.

Though the referendum was non-binding, Rutte acknowledged late on Wednesday it was politically impossible for his unpopular government to ratify the treaty in its current form.

However, as the Dutch currently hold the EU’s rotating presidency, he will need time to figure out whether and how he can alter the treaty in a way that could satisfy all parties.

Rutte said the government would consult with parliament and its European partners “step by step. That could take days or weeks.”

Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko, said on Thursday his country would continue moving towards the EU despite the Dutch vote.

“Under any circumstances we will continue to implement the association agreement with the European Union including a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement,” he told reporters in Tokyo.

Russia’s prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, said the result was “an indication of European attitudes to the Ukrainian political system”.

Any proposed changes to the treaty will have to pass both houses of the Dutch parliament, including the Senate, where Rutte’s shaky coalition lacks a majority. Some political commentators have predicted a coalition collapse over the issue, though new elections are due to be called by March 2017 anyway.

If a compromise can be found, it must also be palatable to other European countries, as well as the European commission and the Ukrainian government.

Rutte’s main political rival, the anti-EU, anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders, whose popularity has hit all-time highs amid Europe’s refugee crisis, said the result was “the beginning of the end” for Rutte’s government and the EU in its current form.

“If two-thirds of the voters say no, that is a vote of no confidence by the people against the elite from Brussels and The Hague,” he tweeted.

The European commission has said it will wait for the Dutch government to suggest a way forward.

Options include leaving the Ukraine agreement in force provisionally, or drafting exemption clauses for theNetherlands – as has happened in similar circumstances before.

Manfred Weber, leader of the centre-right European People’s party (EPP), the biggest bloc in the European parliament, and an ally of German chancellor Angela Merkel, said the referendum result was a “big defeat” for the Dutch government and should be taken seriously.

“We need to make Europe more democratic and transparent,” Weber told Deutschlandfunk radio, saying there was too much backroom politics going on in Brussels. He added that politicians needed to engage more with citizens, explain things to them and show that they take people’s concerns seriously.

He said that applied particularly to Britain ahead of the June referendum on the country’s membership of the EU..

Putin Create New National Guards

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the creation of a new National Guard, which he said would fight terrorism and organised crime.

The force will be formed of interior ministry troops and led by Mr Putin's former bodyguard, Viktor Zolotov, who will report directly to the president.

Mr Putin's spokesman said the force could be used to maintain public order.

But Dmitry Peskov denied its creation was linked to elections in September. Some critics say Mr Putin fears unrest.

Mr Putin made the announcement during a meeting with key security officials at the Kremlin. "The decisions have been taken, we are creating a new federal body of executive power," he said.

He also announced that Russia's drug control agency and federal migration service would become part of the interior ministry's remit.

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Why now?

The creation of a National Guard has been talked about for years. Mr Peskov said he "could not explain" the timing but denied it had anything to do with upcoming elections or any mistrust of other law-enforcement agencies.

But there are suggestions that President Putin is concerned about possible unrest in the run-up to parliamentary elections in September.

Liberal Yabloko party leader Emilia Slabunova said it was an "attempt by the authorities to protect themselves from protests" while independent military analyst Alexander Golts said Russian authorities were concerned by "colour revolutions" in neighbouring countries such as Ukraine and Georgia.

Who's in favour and who's against?

Pro-Kremlin officials have welcomed the change, but opposition figures and commentators fear a further strengthening of security structures.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said the new force would "enhance units' operational capability". The head of the State Duma's defence and anti-corruption committee, Irina Yarovaya, said it was "an absolutely timely, adequate and systemic answer to modern challenges and threats".

But Communist MP Vladimir Rodin said the reshuffle was "a dangerous path" and influential cultural figure Marat Gelman called it a "step towards a police state".

What happens next?

The National Guard looks set to become a powerful force. Its proposed powers include the right to shoot or use force without warning and enter private premises while on duty when there is a threat to the lives of civilians or National Guard personnel.

Some unconfirmed reports suggest it could number up to 400,000 people and havetanks, heavy artillery and attack helicopters. What is not clear is how the new force will work with the interior ministry and other security agencies.

Analysis by BBC Monitoring

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As commander-in-chief of the National Guard, Mr Zolotov has been given a seat on Russia's Security Council. This means he will report directly to President Putin, bypassing the interior minister.

Mr Putin warned in February that Russia's "foes abroad" were preparing to interfere with the 18 September election, and told the country's security services that such attempts must be thwarted.

Moscow has long accused the West of trying to influence Russian elections through encouraging mass protests - a claim denied by US and European officials.

Thousands of protestors took to the streets in Moscow and other cities after the 2011 parliamentary elections amid allegations of ballot-rigging and electoral fraud. Dozens of opposition figures were arrested and jailed.

Rise of Viktor Zolotov

Little is known about 62-year-old Viktor Zolotov. He tends to stay out of the media spotlight and usually refrains from making political statements. But most commentators agree that his appointment is the outcome of his close relationship and his loyalty to the Russian president.

Born into a working-class family, Mr Zolotov started his career as a locksmith at a car plant, later joining the KGB. He spent 20 years as a guard with the Soviet security agency.

In 1994, he became bodyguard for then St Petersburg Mayor Anatoly Sobchak and deputy mayor Vladimir Putin. That was when he apparently developed a close relationship with the future president, even becoming his judo sparring partner.

When Mr Putin was appointed prime minister in 1999, Mr Zolotov was made head of his security entourage. He held the post until 2013, when he was transferred to the interior ministry and put in charge of interior troops in 2014.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered that a National Guard be created in Russia under the auspices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The guard will fight terrorism and organized crime.

“We have made a decision to create a new federal executive body within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, namely the National Guard," the president said Tuesday.

The National Guard "will be fighting terrorism, organized crime, all in close cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They will also continue to perform the functions which are currently carried out by riot police units, SWAT, etc.,” he added.

The National Guard will be formed out of existing Interior Ministry troops.

“We thought about how to improve [the work of law enforcement] in all areas, including those related to fighting terrorism, to organized crime and illicit drug trafficking,” Putin said.

The statement came as Putin met Interior Minister Viktor Kolokoltsev, head of the Federal Drug Control Service Viktor Ivanov, and the commander of the interior troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Viktor Zolotov.

Viktor Zolotov, ex-commander of the Internal Troops and former head of the President's personal security service, has been appointed as the leader of the new structure, with orders to report directly to the president, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday.

He also drew attention to the fact that Zolotov “has grand experience in [the work of] special forces. This is a very good basis for managing a body such as the National Guard.”

The National Guard will not perform field investigation activities, but they will be involved in fighting terrorism within the country, he added.  It is not yet clear, however, whether these troops will be taking part in counter-terrorism operations abroad, according to the spokesman.

Peskov said that the National Guard will work to protect public safety and order along with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Peskov added that the changes in the structure of internal troops do not mean a loss of confidence in them, stressing that the move is aimed at improving their combat capabilities and increasing their effectiveness.

The creation of the new department will require improving the existing legal regulatory framework, as well as setting up ties with other agencies dealing with state security, especially the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, for coordination, he added.

No increase in staffing will be needed, according to Peskov. Moreover, “a combination of merging the Federal Drug Control Service and the Federal Migration Service with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the allocation of internal troops into the National Guard will optimize the entire structure,” he explained. 

Legislators welcome National Guard

State Duma representatives have welcomed the President’s decision. Michael Starshinov, head of the inter-factional group on the interaction of civil society with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, considers the creation of the National Guard the State’s response to the current challenges.

“I can only support the president's decision, because it corresponds with the logic of reforming the judicial system in general and the Ministry of Interior in particular. This step, of course, is also a response to modern challenges and threats, primarily from the international terrorism” Starshinov told reporters.

The deputy chairman of the Duma committee on security and corruption control, Andrey Lugovoy,  expressed his hope for positive changes from the creation of the new structure. “The fact that the internal forces will obtain new duties – fighting against organized crime and terrorism – I would expect that the effect of this will be positive,” Lugovoy said.

Franz Klintsevich, first Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, noted the National Guard will not have to answer to a long hierarchy of superiors, which will make decision-making easier and faster. “[The National Guard will] possess the maximum resources to fight terrorism, including the best forces from the Interior Ministry troops – the people, as they say, proven in combat. It will be endowed with ample powers laid down by federal law [and] will be able to make decisions quickly, without wasting time on all sorts of coordination.”

State Duma deputy from the party 'Spravedlivaya Rossiya' Tatyana Moskalkova also welcomed the news, predicting great improvement to the effectiveness of internal troops.

“The task of combating crime involves the use of specific tools, which are owned by internal troops. [Internal troops] use this special knowledge and special tools to deal with the most dangerous criminal manifestations, such as terrorism, hostage taking, hijacking and riots. The forming of the National Guard is a step toward strengthening the structure [of security forces] and finding new solutions to these security problems,” she said.

Panama Secrecy Leak Claims

Iceland’s prime minister became the first casualty of the global revelations on offshore companies as he resigned on Tuesday.

In a day of high drama in Reykjavik, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson first tried to hang on to his office by seeking the dissolution of parliament.

But after Iceland’s president refused to grant the request, Mr Gunnlaugsson decided to step down as prime minister but carry on as the head of his Progressive party. Sigurdur Ingi Johansson, the current minister of fisheries and agriculture, will become prime minister.

But it remained unclear how other political parties in Iceland would react and early elections could still be called.

The Nordic island of 320,000 people has been shaken by revelations that the prime minister once owned an offshore company, now controlled by his wife. The scandal brought up to 22,000 Icelanders on to the streets of Reykjavik on Monday evening in one of the biggest protests ever seen in Iceland.

Mr Gunnlaugsson leads a two-party coalition government between his Progressive party and the Independence group of finance minister Bjarni Benediktsson. Mr Benediktsson, who has himself admitted to once owning part of an offshore company, has refused to give Mr Gunnlaugsson his support, admitting that the government may not survive the revelations disclosed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Mr Gunnlaugsson wrote on Facebook on Tuesday that if the Independence party declined to back him he would “break up parliament and call for early elections”. Already on Monday, councillors from his own Progressive party in Akureyri, Iceland’s second-largest town, called for Mr Gunnlaugsson to step down.

The centre-right prime minister continued to insist that neither he nor his wife had done anything illegal and argued that his government had helped advance Iceland.

But although Iceland’s economy has recovered strongly from the shocks of its banking system collapsing in 2008, the country’s population remain bitterly divided politically and socially.

The two government parties combined enjoyed less support than the anti-establishment Pirate party, according to the last polls before the revelations emerged from documents leaked from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.

“People are boiling with anger here,” said Stefan Olafsson, a professor in sociology at the University of Iceland.

Mr Gunnlaugsson is facing a no-confidence vote in parliament on Thursday, which he would lose if the Independence party refused to back him.

Mr Gunnlaugsson came to power promising to make the “vultures” — as he called the creditors of the failed banks — pay and use the money to reduce the burdens of Icelanders’ mortgages.

But, according to the ICIJ documents, Wintris, the company that is now solely owned by his wife, was in turn a creditor of the failed banks, exposing the prime minister to sharp criticism and claims of a conflict of interest.

The Panama secrecy leak claimed its first scalp after Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned following revelations about his personal finances.

The decision was announced in parliament after the legislature had been the focus of street protests that attracted thousands of Icelanders angered by the alleged tax evasion of their leader. Gunnlaugsson, who will step down a year before his term was due to end, gave in to mounting pressure from the opposition and even from corners of his own party.

The Panama documents leak, printed in newspapers around the world, showed that the 41-year-old premier and his wife had investments placed in the British Virgin Islands, which included debt in Iceland’s three failed banks. Gunnlaugsson is the second Icelandic premier to resign amid a popular uprising, after Geir Haarde was forced out following protests in 2009.

Gunnlaugsson always looked to be the most vulnerable of the politicians implicated in the documents. From Moscow to Islamabad and Buenos Aires, most public figures have managed to beat off the revelations with a combination of outrage, indifference and semi denial. None of those tactics worked for Gunnlaugsson, whose first response was to walk out of an interview with Swedish TV, a clip that went viral after the leaks were published on Sunday.

The electorate balked at the alleged tax evasion and Gunnlaugsson’s initial refusal to budge. Police on Monday erected barricades around the parliament in Reykjavik as protesters beat drums and pelted the legislature with eggs and yogurt. Almost 10,000 people gathered, according to police, while organizers said the figure was twice as high. Thousands more had signed up on Facebook to attend a second round of protests due to take place on Tuesday afternoon.

Other political leaders have also been forced to defend themselves since the leaked documents surfaced. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said he has no offshore funds or trusts amid demands for an inquiry from opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Gunnlaugsson put Agriculture Minister Sigridur Ingi Johannsson forward as his proposed replacement. The outgoing prime minister will remain chairman of the Progressive Party, which has governed in a two-party coalition since 2013.

Krishna is an avatar of Lord Narayana. One of the eternal companions of Lord Narayana is Sage Nara. Arjuna was supposed to be an avatar of Nara. Krishna and Arjuna were born on the same day. The bond between them went much deeper than friendship...But do you know that Krishna actually fought a battle with Arjuna...
Their battle starts with Gayan, a gandharva. Once Gayan was driving his flying chariot at top speed across the skies. He was thoroughly enjoying himself as the horse flew across the skies. Gayan's chariot flew across the city of Dwaraka. 
It was beautiful morning in city of Dwaraka. Krishna had just finished his morning bath and was about to return to his palace. It was at that minute that Gayan passed over the palace of Dwaraka. Gayan passed very close to the city of Dwaraka. In fact he passed so close that Krishna actually had to duck to avoid getting hit by the horses. Krishna stumbled and fell down down on the ground trying to avoid the horses. Gayan was having so much fun that he did not even notice what had happened. 
It was only when Krishna shouted that he realized that something was wrong. He turned and looked down and saw Krishna looking furiously at him. Gayan quailed under Krishna's furious glare. Gayan did not even have the guts to turn back and apologize to Krishna. He just drove off, hoping that Krishna had not seen him.
Krishna shouted at Gayan, 'How dare you Gayan? I don't mind the fact that you drove recklessly..You do not even have the guts to apologize for what you have done...And you claim to be a gandharva...someone who is better than a human being...You don't deserve to live...Gayan!' Krishna shouted, 'I will hunt you down...'
Gayan heard the words of Krishna as he flew across the city of Dwaraka. He broke into cold sweat...Krishna was angry with him and had promised to hunt him down...How could he even hide form someone like Krishna...No matter where he went Krishna would hunt him down...Gayan decided that the only thing he could do now was to approach one of the Gods and ask for their help...
Gayan drove straight to Amaravathi - Indra's place and he drove straight into Indra's palace. Indra was out in the garden watching as Gayan crashed into the garden and ran straight Indra. 'Indra! Indra! You have to help me...' He panted. Indra held up his hands, 'What is the matter Gayan? You look like you are scared out of your wits...'
Gayan told Indra everything that had happened in the morning. Indra's eyes grew round as he heard that Gayan had picked a fight with Krishna. Indra spoke harshly, 'You mean to tell me that...you picked a fight with Krishna...the Krishna...' Gayan nodded uncertainly as Indra continued, shaking her head, 'No Gayan! No one can save you now...' Gayan looked at Indra with fearful eyes..The King of the Devas said he could not fight with Krishna...Oh God! Indra was saying something. Gayan shook his head and listened to him, 'Just go to Krishna and ask for forgiveness. I am sure he will forgive you...' Gayan shook his head in fear. 
'Krishna was so angry with me...if I go and talk to him, he would just kill me...I will not go back there...' Gayan shook his head fearfully and backed off as he went towards his chariot. Indra tried stopping me, 'No Gayan! Please go to Krishna, I am very sure, he will forgive you...'
Gayan yelled at Indra, 'If you are afraid to fight Krishna, I will find someone who will fight him, but don't ask me to go to him and ask for forgiveness...
Gayan sat on his chariot and was off. He was furiously thinking about whom he could approach to protect himself. Gayan passed Mount Kailash, when it stuck him...Lord Shiva was the best person to approach...Lord Shiva would stand up against Krishna...He entered Lord Shiva's home and fell at Lord Shiva's feet.
'Lord! You are the only one who can save me...' He said as his hands trembled. He had to make the Lord see and protect him...
Lord Shiva who knew all that had happened shook his head, 'No Gayan! I cannot help you...'
Gayan was terrified, 'Lord please do not say like that...I have come believing in you..If you also don't help me...I have no where else to turn to..Please sir!
Lord Shiva smiled, 'Son! Go to Krishna! He will forgive you...'
Gayan was exasperated, 'Lord! Krishna has promised that he will kill me...do you really think I can make him understand...'
Lord Shiva nodded his head, 'That is the only option available to you...'
Gayan looked at Lord Shiva and realized that no matter how much he coaxed Lord Shiva, Lord Shiva would not agree. 
Gayan walked out of Kailash and was crestfallen...What could he do... He got up on his chariot and was aimlessly driving it...when he whizzed past a figure merrily walking through the clouds.
'Narayana! Narayana!' The figure said. Gayan got down and walked towards Narada, the mischievous sage, who roamed about the world singing praises of Lord Narayana. Gayan bowed to Sage Narada with half a heart.
Narada looked at Gayan and said mischievously, 'What is it Gayan? You seem to be in trouble...you can tell me...' Gayan looked at Narada. He sighed and told Narada everything about the morning. Narada sighed and shook his head and made sympathetic noises.
As Narada was about to open his mouth, Gayan held up his hands, 'Sir! I cannot go back to Krishna! No matter what everyone says, I do not think...Krishna would forgive me...'
Narada smiled, 'I was not about to suggest that...I actually have a better idea...' Gayan looked at surprise at Narada and Narada smiled mischievously, 'I wanted you to go to Arjuna, the Pandava...'
Gayan blinked...Arjuna...He stammered, 'But..But...Arjuna and Krishna are the best of friends...why would Arjuna protect me from Krishna...'
Narada smiled, 'Well Arjuna is a prince, a warrior prince. I think he will see it as his duty to protect any one who comes to him for help...'
Gayan fumbled, 'But when I tell Arjuna that he has to protect me from Krishna, do you think he will protect me...' 
Narada laughed, 'He won't..if you tell him that he has to protect you from Krishna...But what if you don't tell him that...' 
Gayan blinked some more as Narada continued, 'Arjuna is a warrior. If he promises that he will help someone, he will help, no matter what! Tell him that you need to be protected from Krishna, after he promises to help you...' Narada said with his twinkling eyes.
Gayan nodded dazed. He bowed to the sage and got on his chariot and drove to the Pandavas. The five Pandavas were relaxing as they saw a flying chariot come inside the palace. Arjuna got up and went near the outside gate, as he heard hurried steps come towards him. He saw a gandharva run towards him and bow to him, 'Arjuna! You are the great Arjuna! You are the only one who can help me...' The gandharva said. 
Arjuna looked at the disheveled man and wondered what could have scared a gandharva so much, 'Please sir! Who are you? What do you want?'
Gayan took a deep breath, 'I am Gayan! I am in trouble...A king is hunting for me and has promised to kill me...I am afraid...'
Arjuna shook his head...Why would a gandharva be afraid of a human? 'I don't understand..who is the king?'
Gayan shook his head, 'I will not tell you that...If I tell you, you will not fight against him...' Alarm bells were ringing in Arjuna's head as he looked at the gandharva. However his brother Yudhishtar came out now. He had heard most of the conversation. He looked at Arjuna, 'Arjuna! You are a warrior. It is your duty to protect anyone who comes to you...You cannot give your protection when you want and stop protecting people when you don't want it...'
Arjuna frowned. He knew his brother was right. Arjuna reluctantly looked at the Gandharva and then at Yudhishtar. He turned to Gayan and spoke slowly, 'Ok! I will protect you...from whomever it is...'
Gayan almost fainted with relief. He slowly smiled at Arjuna. Arjuna asked Gayan anxiously, 'Now tell me who is the king?'
Gayan looked at Arjuna in the eye and said, 'Krishna, the Dark One. Krishna the King of Dwaraka...I want you to protect me from him...'

Arjuna was feeling numb. This was a joke...a cosmic joke, somebody had played on him. He looked at Gayan, hoping that he had heard wrong, hoping that this was some other Krishna...anything but this...
Arjuna shook himself up. He asked Gayan to sit down. 'Pl...Please...' Arjuna fumbled. He cleared his throat,'...tell me the whole story'.
So Gayan told him and the other Pandavas all that happened in the morning. 
By the time Arjuna had heard the story, he was looking incredulously at Gayan. 'You behaved recklessly and carelessly and you expect me to help you...' 
Arjuna held his head in his hands and moaned, 'Why did it not occur to you to go to Krishna, himself...Just fall at his feet...' 
Arjuna's eyes brightened a little, 'Gayan please listen to me...Krishna will forgive you, I will myself take you to him...Just apologise to him and I promise...' Arjuna looked desperately at Gayan, 'I really promise, he will not do anything to you...' 
However Gayan was past hearing all that. He angrily looked at Arjuna, 'Is this how a warrior behaves?' Gayan was fully confident that Arjuna would fight for him, now that he had given his word. It actually made him bold. He looked at Arjuna contemptuously, 'And I thought, for warriors like you, your promise meant more to you than anything else in the world...You agree to protect me and instead of protecting me, you are asking me to risk my life, hoping that Krishna will spare my life...You really are a very brave warrior!' Gayan said looking scornfully at Arjuna.
Bheema, the second Pandava was beside himself in rage. Bheema was extremely strong and powerful. In one hand he pulled Gayan by his neck and almost throttled him. 'You dare call my brother a coward..Do you know...'
All the other Pandavas together had to pull Bheema away from Gayan. 
Gayan was still struggling to breathe as Bheema ranted. 'Arjuna! Listen to me...Such a man is not worth protecting...Tie him up and personally hand him over to Krishna...'
Arjuna was actually in half a mind to follow Bheema's advice. This Gandharva was rude...He was not someone for whom Arjuna would fight against anybody...let alone against Krishna. He was looking angrily at Gayan, when he heard a noise behind him.
'Narayana! Narayana!' Arjuna and his brothers bowed to Sage Narada who had appeared there. 'What seems to be the problem here?' Sage Narada asked innocently. 
Unaware that all his problems were caused by the mischievous sage, Arjuna told the sage everything. Sage Narada pretended to listen sympathetically. Arjuna asked the sage, 'What do I do sir? I...I just don't know what to do...'
Sage Narada nodded his head looking at Gayan and then looked at Arjuna, 'Arjuna, in this matter, I am afraid you really do not have a choice. You made a promise, you are bound by it...Protecting Gayan in your duty...You have to do your duty...'
Arjuna bowed his head. He knew that the sage was right...He had to fight Krishna...He had to fight his beloved Krishna...
Sage Narada's mischief however did not end there. His next stop was Dwaraka. As Narada entered Dwaraka's palace, he did not get the usual welcome. People were actually looking scared and terrified as they kept glancing at a furious Krishna. 
Sage Narada innocently asked Lord Krishna, 'My Lord! I am sorry but there is some change here...You look different...Is something wrong?'
Lord Krishna took a deep breath and told him everything. '...And now I cannot find that Gayan anywhere...No matter where he is, I will hunt him down...'
Sage Narada pretended to look surprised, 'Do you mean Gayan? Gayan the Gandharva?'
Lord Krishna furiously nodded his head. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Narada, 'Sir! From your expression, I take it, you know where Gayan is...'
Sage Narada nodded his head, 'Not only do I know where he is, I also know who is giving him protection.'
Krishna was shocked. 'Somebody offered to protect that gandharva from me...' He then said angrily, 'Who is it? Who is it, who dares to so openly insult me?
Sage Narada smiled, 'Why...It is Arjuna, Arjuna the Pandava...He had offered Gayan protection...I am just coming from the house of the Pandavas, so yes, I am very sure of it...'
Lord Krishna blinked flabbergasted. Arjuna...his Arjuna...was protecting a gandharva and was ready to fight against him...What could have prompted Arjuna from doing something like this...Krishna shook his head. Sage Narada had to be wrong...But then till date Sage Narada had never lied...Mischievous - yes...Liar - No...
Krishna closed his eyes wearily. He could not fight Arjuna, no matter what. Arjuna was a part of him. How could he fight someone like that...Krishna shook his head...Arjuna...my Arjuna...How can I ever go against you...No...I cannot fight against you...Krishna resolutely looked up making his decision. He went to his sister - Subhadra. Subhadra welcomed Krishna. 'What brings you here, Krishna?' She asked him. Then suddenly looking at the serious faced Krishna, Subhadra knew something was wrong, 'Krishna, is something wrong? I have never seen you like this...Please tell me...I need to know...' Subhadra said as she felt her heart thump painfully.
Krishna looked at Subhadra, 'Gayan a gandharva has offended me...And I...I decided that he cannot be forgiven for being so ill mannered and rude...' Subhadra listened wondering what this had to do with her. Krishna continued. 'A prince has offered him protection from me...' 
Subhadra looked astonished. Krishna was one of the most strongest persons she knew. And he was extraordinarily intelligent. There were already stories of his legends...And somebody was protecting a gandharva from him...Who could do such a thing...
Subhadra looked at Krishna uncertainly, 'Who is doing this, Krishna?'
Krishna looked at Subhadra in the eye, 'Your husband...your husband Arjuna is protecting Gayan...' Subhadra gasped, her head reeling. Arjuna going against Krishna - this was impossible...It did not make sense...Arjuna fought for Krishna, he did not fight against Krishna. 
She looked pleadingly at Krishna, 'Krishna, there must be some mistake...please let me set this right...I will talk to him...Please...' She said begging him, 'I will convince him...I have to convince him...' She said fervently to herself. 
Krishna looked at her softly, 'I do not want to fight Arjuna, any more that you do...Please Subhadra...Go to Arjuna and please talk to him...'
Subhadra did not waste any time. She set off to see the Pandavas immediately. When she reached the Pandavas, she did not bother with any of the formalities. She ran straight to Arjuna. 'Arjuna! What is this that Krishna is telling me? Why are you doing this? Why are you protecting a man that has insulted Krishna? Don't you realize that this is Krishna...your friend Krishna...You always tell me that the bond between the two of you go much deeper than friendship...Then why...why would you do such a thing?' Subhadra said looking at her husband with plain disbelief.
Arjuna sighed, 'Do you think I would like to fight Krishna...' He told her everything. 
Subhadra realized that her husband had been tricked into protecting Gayan. 'Please Arjuna! When you offered protection to Gayan, you did not know that it was against Krishna...I am sure, such a promise would not bind you...' Subhadra was close to tears. 
Arjuna then told her about Sage Narada's words, who had told him that it was his duty to protect Gayan. 
Subhadra tried pleading with her husband...but her husband sadly refused saying he was bound by his duty.
Dejected she went back to Dwaraka and told Lord Krishna everything that had happened and how it was that Arjuna ended up protecting Gayan. 'I have failed Krishna...My husband is bound by his duty...For that he is willing to fight even you...' She said with tears in her eyes.
Krishna shook his head. Knowing why Arjuna had done what he had done did not make the task any easier...
He looked at his sister, 'Tomorrow...I go to war against Arjuna...'
Subhadra looked too stricken for words as the two men she loved were getting ready to fight with each other.
Krishna gathered his huge army and went to face Arjuna. Arjuna himself was ready for battle. He knew Lord Krishna would not budge from his position. Lord Krishna was standing with his huge army and looked at Arjuna, who stood against him.
'Arjuna...think about it...' Lord Krishna tried once more, 'Do you think all this is necessary...'
Arjuna gave Krishna a dry mirthless laugh, 'My Lord! Please do not make fun of me...I am not here because I want to fight you...I am here because I have to fight you...'
Looking at the sad face of Arjuna, Krishna did not waste any more time. He gave the orders to begin the battle...
Lord Krishna fired the arrows, which Arjuna cut down before it could reach him...Lord Krishna continued to fight him, but none of the arrows were affecting Arjuna. Arjuna was too good a warrior to be affected by that...
Lord Krishna, having no choice fired powerful weapons. But Arjuna was also a warrior and a very good one at that...He was ready with more powerful weapons of his own. No matter what Lord Krishna tried, Arjuna had an answer for him. The battle was evenly poised went on for a long time...
Lord Krishna was however very angry now. In the heat of the battle, he pulled out his 'Sudarshana Chakra'. However unperturbed Arjuna pulled out his 'Pashupatastra' - the weapon which was handed over to him by Lord Shiva himself. 
Both the weapons had the capacity to destroy the world...Krishna and Arjuna pulled back the weapons and were about to let it go...when time stopped...
Lord Brahma the Lord Creation appeared before them, 'Krishna! Arjuna! Put your weapons back...These weapons will destroy the world...You cannot do that...stop this battle NOW!' Brahma shouted at the two of them.
Both Arjuna and Krishna bowed to Brahma and immediately put back their weapons. Lord Brahma came forward. 'I can solve your problem...' Lord Brahma turned to Arjuna, 'Arjuna hand over Gayan to Lord Krishna now!' Arjuna looked at Brahma suspiciously as Lord Brahma said angrily, 'I will make sure, both of your promises are kept...Now just hand over Gayan to Krishna...'
When Gayan went near Lord Krishna, Lord Krishna killed Gayan. Arjuna looked with disbelief as Lord Brahma brought out the water from his Kamandalam and sprinkled it on Gayan...Gayan got up as if nothing had happened looking at the healed wound and at Arjuna. 
Gayan thanked Lord Brahma and Arjuna and looked at Lord Krishna and hastily left the place.
Lord Krishna smiled as he embraced a relieved Arjuna. He looked at the sad eyes of Arjuna and spoke softly, 'Arjuna! I fought this war against you to make you understand something...' Arjuna looked at Krishna wondering what Krishna would say. Krishna continued, 'You have to understand my friend that sometimes you have to fight against even your loved ones for what is right...' Lord Krishna looked at Arjuna with a sad smile on his face, 'A war is coming my friend...A great war...the outcome of the war depends on you...It depends on whether you have the ability to stand up against any one, to do the right thing...'
It is said that Lord Krishna fought this war to mentally prepare Arjuna for the Mahabharatha war.

Arjuna meets Hanuman:

Arjuna was there at Rameshwaram performing pilgrimage, and with Rama on his mind he witnessed the marvel of Setu. Seeing the famed Nala Setu, A doubt arose in his mind. Krishna always says Rama was the best warrior ever, even superior to me. If Rama was really such a great archer, then why did he need to depend upon Nala and the army of vaanara-s to construct the bridge? Why could he not use his archery to build a bridge of arrows? Was Rama such a good archer after all, as Krishna and Bheeshma have told me always?

Such were the doubts that arose in his mind, clouded by his ego, that he was the best archer as everyone said.

Nearby, spending time in solitude at Gandhamadan, in the meditation of Lord Rama, was  Hanuman. Hanuman was spending his time in loving memory of his Lord Sri Rama, when he found Arjuna engaged in such thoughts.

In shape of an odinary, old vaanara, he appeared to Arjuna and addressed him. Friend, you do not know how huge-bodied and heavy our vaanara ancestors used to be. It must not have been easy to transport those thousands of crores of very heavy Vanara-s across to Lanka on a bridge of arrows. All the options must have been well-considered by Lord Rama the Best, before the construction of the Setu must have been decided.

Hearing this, Arjuna became even more determined. Why! Certainly a good archer can construct a bridge which can withstand the weight of any number of creatures - what are vaanara-s! If Rama was such a good archer, he must have confidently performed that feat. Even I could do that, had I been there.

Hanuman is the best of the devotees and a divine servant of Lord Rama. It is said that wherever glories of Rama are sung, he is always present with clasped hands and tear-filled eyes. So how could Hanuman hear such criticism of his master? Addressing Arjuna, he said, no archer could construct such a bridge which could withstand the weight of those vaanara-s. Why, you seem to be a kshatriya yourselves, and a warrior at that! Can you construct such a bridge of arrows? It would not even withstand the weight of an old vaanara like me!

The argument ensued and resulted in a challenge. They decided that Arjuna would construct a bridge of his arrows over a nearby water-body, using his skills of archery. Hanuman would then climb on the bridge. If the bridge sustained the weight of Hanuman, then Arjuna would be considered victorious. Otherwise he would lose and enter a burning pyre.

In his arrogance, Arjuna quickly built the bridge of the arrows, and invited Hanuman to test his strength. Chanting the names of Lord Rama, Hanuman had merely kept his tail upon the bridge, that it crumbled down like a pile of sand.

As per the challenge, Arjuna readied a pyre and lit it. As he was about to enter it, a Brahmana appeared there and inquired about the matter. Brahmana was nobody but Lord Krishna who had come to save the life of his dear friend and devotee Arjuna. So Krishna, in form of the Brahman, asked them who was the witness of their agreement. There was none. A deed of challenge without a witness, Brahmana said, was not legal, and there must be one. He then offered to be that witness and asked Arjuna to perform his deed again.

This time, remembering Krishna, Arjuna built a bridge again. Hanuman now climbed the bridge. lo and behold! Nothing happened and the bridge sustained his weight.

Then all of a sudden, both Hanuman and Arjun saw that the brahmana had lent his shoulder to the foundation of the bridge, and in sustaining the weight of Hanuman, he was heavily injured and profusely bleeding. Hanuman immediately realized Lord Rama in the form of Brahmana and Arjun saw Lord Krishna.

Hanuman was very moved by this act, and was not to be consoled. Rama holding the weight of Hanuman! Lord Krishna, who is Lord Rama, then hugged Hanuman and told him that he was so much indebted by the services of Hanuman, that the debt can never be paid back.

In Treta Yuga, you have done so much for me that I am in immense debt. None can ever measure all that you have done for my mission. You carried me on your shoulders over this Setu in that yuga. So, I came to meet my dearest friend in dwaapar yuga and carry him with affection on my shoulders too.'

This way Krishna met his best friend Hanuman, and saved life of another, Arjuna. Hanuman promised to be Arjuna's flag-bearer upon his chariot during the war of Mahabharata.

(In another instance it was said that on second time arjun was building the bridge by remembering the lord krishna, while Hanuman was confident that he could break any bridge.)

So it is the name of lord that won both times.