In a statement commemorating the 10th anniversary of the pro-European protests in Kyiv’s Independence Square, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine and the West of causing the conflict with Moscow. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the ministry, questioned what brought about Ukraine’s dream of Europe and stated that the country had become a poor, dying region due to events that took place in November 2013.
Zakharova also asserted that Western powers determine Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been waging war against Ukraine for almost 21 months in an attempt to regain control over parts of the country. The so-called Euromaidan protests, later referred to as the Revolution of Dignity, began on November 21 when protesters gathered on Maidan (Independence Square) in Kyiv.
They were demonstrating against Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to annul an agreement on Ukraine’s accession to the EU under pressure from Moscow. More than 100 people lost their lives during these protests, which will be commemorated on Tuesday in Kyiv with international dignitaries expected to attend.