A man carrying an Ukranian flag gestures as he stands on top of a bridge overlooking Independence Square in Kiev, Dec. 4, 2013.
As protests continued to rock Ukraine Wednesday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev stressed to a visiting Ukrainian delegation that “it’s really important to have stability and order” in Ukraine, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
The protests began last month after the government abruptly suspended trade negotiations with the European Union amid opposition from Russia. Since then, the demonstrations have evolved into some of the heaviest unrest since the country’s Orange Revolution nearly a decade ago. On Wednesday, thousands of protesters descended on the capital’s Independence Square and blocked government buildings.
Opposition leaders have called for the removal of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his government, which survived a no-confidence vote Tuesday. Azarov has called for a peaceful resolution, but said in a statement Tuesday that “if we find a fist, I say frankly, we have enough forces.”
[CNN]
