Dozens Killed in Ukraine as President Alleges Coup Attempt
As the death toll in Kiev’s violent political confrontation rose dramatically to at least 25 Wednesday, Ukraine’s embattled President Victor Yanukovich laid blame for the violence on protest leaders and threatened a tough response.
Pointing to continued clashes in Kiev’s Independence Square Wednesday morning, Yanukovich accused the opposition of a coup attempt.
“Without any mandate from the people, acting illegally and violating the constitution of Ukraine these, so to say, politicians tried to seize power by resorting to pogroms, arsons and murders,” Yanukovich said in a televised speech. “They crossed the line when they called upon the people to take up arms. This is a flagrant violation of law.”
Yanukovich called upon the leaders of the opposition to immediately dissociate themselves from the radical forces. “In case they don’t want to go, they must admit that they support the radicals,” he said. “In this case we will deal with them in a different way.”
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