Ashton: 'Det er ok for mine drenge at dræbe ubevæbnede civile, men Janukovitj kunne ikke bevæbne sine styrker mod bevæbnede bøller...'
Talsmand for den russiske præsident Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, udgav en officiel erklæring efter de tragiske begivenheder i Odessa. 39 regeringsfjendtlige aktivister er døde i en brand i fagforeningernes hus der, efter at bygningen blev sat i brand af pro-Kiev-radikale. Nogle anti-Kiev-demonstranter brændte ihjel, mens andre blev kvalt eller sprang ud af vinduer, oplyser det ukrainske indenrigsministerium.
'Myndighederne i Kiev bærer ikke kun direkte ansvar, men er medskyldige i disse kriminelle aktiviteter. Deres arme er op til albuerne i blod,' sagde Peskov.
Han sagde, at tragedien i Odessa var et produkt af 'medvidenhed fra dem, der betragter sig selv som autoriteten i Kiev.'
Kommentar: Delvist oversat af Sott.net fra As Ukrainians call for Moscow intervention, EU 'foreign minister' Catherine Ashton justifies Kiev junta bloodshed: "The state's monopoly on the legitimate use of violence needs to be respected"
"They allowed extremists and radicals to burn unarmed people alive. I stress that these people were unarmed."
Peskov condemned the position adopted by Washington and a number of European countries as motivated by cynicism.
"It is the highest manifestation of cynicism. The people who justify this punitive operation are the same ones that did not allow the legitimate President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovich, to bring order to the country," said Peskov, referring to the special operation being carried out in the East of Ukraine at the order of the Kiev government.
The latest escalation in the fighting in eastern Ukraine has made it impossible for any nation to convince people to disarm in the region because their lives are at risk, said Peskov.
"In spite of consistent attempts to encourage dialogue, Russia has hit against provocation not only from Kiev, but also its Western sponsors."
The president's spokesperson announced on Friday that Kiev had effectively destroyed the last vestige of hope for implementing the Geneva agreement on de-escalating the Ukrainian crisis by unleashing a 'punitive operation' in eastern Ukraine. Russia views the operation as criminal and has urged the Ukrainian government not to use force against unarmed civilians.
However, the EU and the US have both supported the Kiev government's operation. President Barack Obama called it "a move to restore order," while EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said "the state's monopoly on the legitimate use of violence needs to be respected."
"Our colleagues in the West are basically trying to justify the large number of murders we are seeing," said Peskov, calling Ashton's statement "monstrous."
When asked how Russia would react to the escalating conflict in Ukraine, Peskov said he was unable to answer that question at present.
"This is unknown territory for us," said the presidential spokesperson, adding that the Russian government has received thousands of calls from southeastern Ukraine, demanding Moscow's help.
"Desperate people call, they ask for help. The vast majority want Russia's help," said Peskov. "All of these calls are reported to President Vladimir Putin."
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