Islam Times - Kiev government operating under US pressure: Former Kremlin adviser

Islam Times - A former Kremlin adviser says the Ukrainian authorities are facing heavy pressure from the United States and the European Union.

Alexander Nekrassov said the government officials in Kiev were facing an enormous pressure by Washington and its Europe allies.

“The real problem is that the government in Kiev is under serious pressure from Washington and Brussels,” Nekrassov said.

The analyst added that the Ukrainian authorities are also being forced to join the EU and NATO.

Ukraine’s pursuit of NATO membership would turn the country into a potential military adversary for Russia, the commentator stated.

Commenting on the ongoing turmoil in Ukraine, the analyst said the constant meddling by the United States and its Western allies has triggered the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

“Anti-Russian regime emerged in Kiev and everything became complicated.”

He also stated that the current economic and political challenges of Ukraine were caused by the “coup” against the country’s former President Viktor Yanukovych last year.

The mainly Russian-speaking regions in Ukraine’s east have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Russia activists and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations to silence the pro-Russians in mid-April.

Violence intensified in May after Donetsk and Lugansk regions held local referendums, in which their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine.

The United Nations says some 4,700 people have been killed during the past months of conflict in eastern Ukraine.