UKRAINE: Clashes resume in Kiev's Independence Square despite earlier announced truce

Record ID: 375675

  • Title: UKRAINE: Clashes resume in Kiev's Independence Square despite earlier announced truce
  • Date: 20th February 2014
  • Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (FEBRUARY 20, 2014) (REUTERS) PAN OF BARRICADE FRONT LINE RIOT POLICE BEHIND SHIELDS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS AND SMOKE RISING ABOVE BARRICADES PROTESTERS ON BARRICADES VARIOUS OF MEDIC (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) OLEKSANDER, PROTESTER, SAYING: "This is not terrorism, not extremism though the methods are not too popular in the world or among the people. As for peac
  • Embargoed: 7th March 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Crime,General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7E37NZC42IL86V7ZGD2YUGTLU
  • Story Text: A tense standoff between protesters and riot police continued early on Thursday (February 20) in Kiev, where the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland will later meet Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich before returning to Brussels for a meeting of all 28 European Union foreign ministers to decide on targeted sanctions against those deemed responsible for the violence.
    Despite Yanukovich's words that he reached agreement with opposition leaders on a "truce" to halt fighting that has killed 26 people, morning TV pictures from protesters' stronghold in central Kiev showed fighting continued on the barricades with Molotov cocktails and rocks flying over the fortifications in the directions of riot police.
    "This is not terrorism, not extremism though the methods are not too popular in the world or among the people. As for peaceful discussions, unfortunately, at this stage nobody listens to anyone. We tolerated corruption, stealing, everything. There is only one method left to show everyone that something must be done about this," said protester Oleksander as the sound of gunfire and explosions could be heard in the background.
    Yanukovich, backed by Russia, had denounced the bloodshed in central Kiev, where protesters have been dug in for almost three months since he spurned a trade deal with the European Union in favor of closer Russian ties, as an attempted coup.
    His security service said it had launched a nationwide "anti-terrorist operation" after arms and ammunition dumps were looted.
    The violence, the worst since Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union 22 years ago, provoked a chorus of condemnation from the West.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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