KIEV, April 16 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has signed off on the security operation to stabilize the situation in the country’s eastern regions, First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaliy Yarema told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
“The resolution of the Verkhovna Rada fully supports the actions carried out in eastern Ukraine by law enforcement agencies and the Ministry of Defense joined by special forces to ensure the rule of law and territorial integrity of our country,” Yarema said.
In a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the sharp escalation of the conflict in Ukraine has pushed the country to the brink of civil war.
Putin's comment was echoed by Leonid Slutsky, the head of the committee on CIS affairs in Russia’s lower house of parliament, who said the situation around Kramatorsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where the operation began, could not “be any worse.”
Eastern Ukraine has been swept by pro-federalization rallies since March. Protesters have refused to recognize the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government and are urging authorities to hold referendums on greater regional autonomy.
As the demonstrations spread, the new Kiev authorities announced a special operation to suppress the protesters using military force. The most violent clashes between the Ukrainian military and protesters took place in Slaviansk and Kramatorsk, with deaths reported in both cases.
