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Ukraine Torn by Full-Fledged Civil War – Putin

RIA Novosti

16:19 23/05/2014

ST. PETERSBURG, May 23 (RIA Novosti) – Following the coup in Ukraine, chaos followed and a full-fledged civil war has broken out, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Friday.

"A coup has occurred in Ukraine and it was supported by the American and European partners. The Chaos is the next [stage], and we are observing now a full-fledged civil war," Putin said.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Friday during an international security conference in Moscow that Ukraine had slid into a civil war following the ouster of its legitimate leader.

Ukraine underwent a Western-backed regime change resembling a military coup late February. The country's parliament ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, changed the constitution and scheduled an early presidential election for May 25.

Following the refusal of the Russian-speaking southeast of Ukraine's to recognize the legitimacy of Kiev's new authorities, the Luhansk and Donetsk regions have seen violent clashes between government soldiers and protesters after the country's interim government launched a large-scale military operation in mid-April. Both sides have suffered dozens of casualties.

The special operation is still under way even though the Ukrainian parliament approved a so-called memorandum of peace and consent earlier this week, which called on the return of troops stationed in eastern Ukraine to their permanent bases.

The eastern city of Slaviansk is currently surrounded by Ukrainian military personnel, which the Kiev authorities claim is an effort to ensure the conduct of the upcoming presidential election on Sunday. The self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic has declared a general mobilization of men aged 18 to 45, with local military offices overcrowded with people wanting to join the self-defense forces.

Moscow has repeatedly condemned Kiev's actions and called on the international community to take immediate action to stop the bloodshed in the country.