Ukraine: Protesters attempt to seize Energy Ministry
According to AFP/Reuters, on January 25, Energy Minister Eduard Stavytsky said about 100 armed anti-government protesters attempted to occupy the main building of the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy located in the center of the capital Kiev.
“I went up to them and said that if they did not leave the building peacefully, the entire energy system of Ukraine could collapse,” Energy Minister Eduard Stavytsky told Reuters by telephone. The protesters later left but remained blocking the entrance outside the building.
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| Tensions in Ukraine continue to escalate. (Source: AFP/VNA) |
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Mr Zakharchenko accused the main opposition of failing to control extremists and Kiev authorities now have information that protesters have “stockpiled guns” at their headquarters in central Kiev.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's richest man Rinat Akhmetov, a key ally of President Viktor Yanukovych, stressed on January 25 that the use of force to resolve the current crisis is unacceptable and dialogue is the only solution.
In a related development, the European Union (EU) on January 25 urged the Ukrainian government to take concrete steps to prevent "increased violence and intimidation" and restore peace in the country.
In a statement issued after meetings in Kiev with President Yanukovych and opposition leaders, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said he “conveyed the EU’s deep concerns about the latest developments and stressed the need to end the spiral of violence”./.
According to VNA
