Ukraine foreign minister slams West for meddling

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara has condemned the West for meddling in the country’s internal affairs after an anti-protest legislation drew criticism from Western officials.

During a Friday meeting with US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt and European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Jan Tombinski, Kozhara “expressed concern” over the foreign criticism against the law and said it was “considered in Kiev as meddling in the internal affairs” of the country.

The new legislation, backed by 235 out of 450 lawmakers on Thursday and signed into law by President Viktor Yanukovych on Friday, bans any unauthorized installation of tents, stages or amplifiers in public places.

Moreover, people and organizations that provide facilities or equipment for “illegal” meetings will be liable to a fine of up to $1,275, or detention of up to 10 days.

Kozhara advised foreign diplomats “to be objective and balanced in assessments of internal processes in Ukraine, and avoid unilateral statements and comments that do not reflect the real state of affairs.”

Earlier in the day, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement that she was “deeply concerned by the events in Kiev.”

Ashton also said that the legislation was “restricting the Ukrainian citizens’ fundamental rights.”

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki also called on the Ukrainian government to “defend and advance universal democratic principles and values that underpin a Europe whole, free, and at peace.”

Ukraine has been rocked by anti-government protests after President Yanukovych refrained from signing a trade agreement with the European Union at the third Eastern Partnership Summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on November 29, 2013.

Kiev refused to sign the agreement after EU leaders called on Ukraine to allow jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymshenko to travel overseas for medical treatment.

EU leaders have blamed Russia for Ukraine’s refusal to sign the deal with the bloc, saying they will not allow Moscow to “veto” deals in Eastern Europe.

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Western countries of losing “their sense of reality” over Ukraine’s crisis. He also charged them with using blackmail to cut Kiev off from Russia.