In a statement marking the 10th anniversary of pro-European protests in Kyiv’s Independence Square, the Russian Foreign Ministry has blamed Ukraine and the West for the conflict with Moscow. Using derogatory terms, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asked what brought the dream of Europe to Ukraine. She stated that Ukraine has turned into a poor, dying region and has lost its independence as a result of the events of November 2013 and those that followed.
According to Zakharova, Western colonizers determine the internal and foreign policy of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been waging war against Ukraine for nearly 21 months to bring parts of the country back under Moscow’s control. The so-called Euromaidan protests, which later took place in Ukraine under the name Revolution of Dignity, began on November 21 when the first demonstrators gathered on Maidan (Independence Square) in Kyiv. They demonstrated against the fact that then Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, under pressure from Moscow, canceled an agreement on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. More than 100 people died in clashes with security forces during these protests.
The commemoration of this event will take place in Kyiv on Tuesday with international dignitaries expected to attend.