KIEV/MOWCOW: The Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich on Saturday removed the Kiev’s mayor Aleksandr Popov and deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Vladimir Sivkovich from office.
In a statement, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka said that Kiev’s mayor and the country’s top security official were involved in the brutal eviction of a protest camp by Berkut (special police unit) on November 30.
The prosecutor general, who is advocating the removal of top officials from office, said that the investigation is preparing a request to the court asking for the two officials to be put under house arrest.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview on Saturday criticized the policy of the European Union (EU) towards Ukraine, and said that Russia has no doubt that provocateurs stand behind the mass protests in Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Minister defended the Ukrainian government’s right to take decisions on its national policy and also chided Western officials who are demanding immediate signing of the association agreement.
Lavrov stressed that the EU’s motives have nothing to do with the interests of the Ukrainians. He said that the Ukrainian people and its government should settle the conflict on their own.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian opposition is set to hold a large rally in Kiev’s Independence Square on Sunday against President Viktor Yanukovich’s decision to scrap a trade deal with the EU and steer the country closer to Russia.
The violent protests were triggered in Kiev after the government refrained from signing an Association Agreement with the EU at the third Eastern Partnership Summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on November 29.
Ukraine refused to sign the agreement after the EU leaders called on Ukraine to allow jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymshenko to travel overseas for medical treatment.
The EU blamed Russia for Ukraine’s refusal to sign a trade deal with the bloc, saying they will not allow Moscow to veto deals in Eastern Europe. On the other hand, Ukraine has said that it cannot afford to sacrifice trade with Russia for closer ties with the EU.
