The Russian Foreign Ministry has blamed Ukraine and the West for the ongoing conflict with Moscow, marking the 10th anniversary of the pro-European protests in Kyiv’s Independence Square. In a statement, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova questioned what brought Ukraine’s dream of Europe to fruition, claiming that it had become a poor and dying region as a result of events dating back to November 2013.
Zakharova also accused Western colonizers of controlling Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy. She pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been waging war against Ukraine for almost 21 months in an effort to regain control over certain parts of the country. The so-called Euromaidan protests, later known as the Revolution of Dignity, began on November 21 when protesters gathered on Maidan (Independence Square) in Kyiv. These demonstrations were sparked by Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to annul Ukraine’s agreement with the EU under pressure from Moscow. More than 100 people were killed in clashes with security forces during these protests, which will be commemorated in Kyiv on Tuesday with the arrival of international dignitaries.
