KIEV // Defiant Ukrainian protesters seized control of the capital’s central post office on Wednesday and stood their ground against riot police on the city’s main square, after clashes that left at least 26 people dead, and raised fears of prolonged violence.
The violence that also left hundreds injured was the worst in nearly three months of anti-government protests that have paralysed Kiev, Ukraine’s capital. The opposition and President Viktor Yanukovich’s government are locked in a stalemate over the identity of their nation of 46 million, which is divided in its loyalties between Russia and the West.
In an ominous development, Ukraine’s top security agency accused protesters on Wednesday of seizing hundreds of firearms from its offices and announced a nationwide anti-terrorist operation to restore order. The Defense Ministry said the army could take part in the operation and Mr Yanukovich appointed a new head of the armed forces.
Demonstrators, meanwhile, forced their way into the post office on Independence Square, also known as the Maidan, after a nearby building they had previously occupied was burnt down Tuesday in fierce, fiery clashes with riot police. Thousands of activists armed with fire bombs and rocks had defended the square Tuesday, which has become a key symbol of the protests.
Black smoke from the sprawling, now-burnt opposition camp was still rising above the centre of Kiev 24 hours later.
The shocking escalation of violence has prompted the European Union to threaten sanctions against Ukrainian officials responsible for the bloodshed and triggered an angry rebuke from Moscow, which accused the West of setting off the clashes by backing the opposition. The 28-nation EU is holding an emergency meeting on Ukraine in Brussels on Thursday.
In Paris, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters on Wednesday in a joint appearance with US Secretary of State John Kerry that he and his counterparts from Germany and Poland would meet both sides in Ukraine ahead of the EU meeting on possible sanctions.
He said he hoped the two sides “will find a way for dialogue.”
Possible sanctions include banning leading officials from travelling to EU nations or freezing their assets there. Travel bans and assets freezes for the powerful oligarchs who back Mr Yanukovich could prompt them to pressure him to change course.
But the bad blood in Ukraine now runs so high it has fuelled fears the nation could be sliding toward a messy break-up. While most people in the country’s western regions resent Mr Yanukovich, he enjoys strong support in the mostly Russian-speaking eastern and southern regions, where many want strong ties with Russia.
Neither side now appears willing to compromise, with the opposition insisting on Mr Yanukovich’s resignation and early elections and the president prepared to fight till the end.
Amid a stagnating economy and soaring corruption, Ukrainians have been angered to see that Mr Yanukovich’s close friends and family have risen to top government posts and amassed fortunes since he came to power in 2010.
Mr Yanukovich on Wednesday blamed the protesters for the violence and said the opposition leaders “crossed a line when they called people to arms.”
“I again call on the leaders of the opposition ... to draw a boundary between themselves and radical forces, which are provoking bloodshed and clashes with the security services,” the president said in a statement. “If they don’t want to leave (the square) — they should acknowledge that they are supporting radicals. Then the conversation with them will already be of a different kind.”
He also called for a day of mourning Thursday for the dead.
Radical protesters willing to confront police with violence were largely shunned at the start of the peaceful demonstrations three months ago, but they have become a key force in recent weeks, with moderate demonstrators bringing them food and even preparing Molotov cocktails for them. Police also have turned increasingly brutal after law enforcement officers were killed.
Opposition lawmaker Oleh Lyashko warned that Mr Yanukovych himself was in danger if he does not offer some concessions.
“Yanukovich, you will end like (Muammar) Qaddafi,” Mr Lyashko told thousands of angry protesters. “Either you, a parasite, will stop killing people or this fate will await you. Remember this, dictator!”
The protests began in late November after Mr Yanukovich turned away from a long-anticipated deal with the EU in exchange for a $15 billion (Dh55 billion) bailout from Russia. The political manoeuvring has continued since, with both Moscow and the West eager to gain influence over this former Soviet republic.
The Kremlin said it put the next disbursement of its bailout on hold amid uncertainty over Ukraine’s future and what it described as a “coup attempt.”
* Associated Press
