Russian Diplomat Urges US to Admit Its Role in '2014 Ukrainian Coup'
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – It’s time for the United States to recognize its role in the 2014 “state coup in Ukraine”, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky said on Wednesday.
"It’s common knowledge that the US tried to overthrow President of Venezuela. Now waiting for acknowledgement of US pivotal role in illegal Maidan coup in Ukraine in 2014 which is an open secret too," the Russian diplomat wrote on Twitter, commenting on former high-ranking White House official’s remarks about his participation in staging coups abroad, TASS reported.
On Tuesday, John Bolton, a former White House national security adviser, said: "As somebody who has helped plan coups d'etat - not here but you know (in) other places - it takes a lot of work."
Unrest in the center of Kiev broke out at the end of 2013. Organizers of protests in Kiev’s Independence Square accused then President Viktor Yanukovich of refusing to sign an association agreement with the European Union. A prolonged mass demonstration of protest called Euromaidan began.
The radicals set up a tent camp, seized a number of administrative buildings in the center of Kiev and created so-called "self-defense forces", which openly clashed with police.
The crisis culminated on February 18-20, 2014 in Kiev, when unidentified snipers repeatedly opened fire both on the protesters and police. As a result, 80 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured. Twenty of those injured died in hospital later. There were both demonstrators and personnel of the riot police force Berkut among those killed.
Yanukovich and the Nikolai Azarov-led cabinet of ministers later left Ukraine. When power in Kiev changed hands, the Prosecutor-General's Office launched criminal proceedings against Yanukovich on charges of mass killings of civilians. The Ukrainian authorities put part of the blame on Berkut personnel.
In particular, the police are charged with obeying criminal orders to use weapons. The accused pled not guilty on all charges. At the same time crimes against police are not investigated and the snipers case remains unsolved.
