The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused Ukraine and the West of being responsible for the conflict with Moscow in a statement marking the 10th anniversary of the pro-European protests in Kyiv’s Independence Square. In her statement, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova used derogatory terms to question what led to Ukraine’s dream of Europe being realized.

According to Zakharova, Ukraine has become a poor, dying region as a result of the events of November 2013 and those that followed. She also claimed that Western colonizers determine Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been waging war against Ukraine for almost 21 months in an attempt to bring parts of the country back under Moscow’s control.

The so-called Euromaidan protests, which later became known as the Revolution of Dignity, began on November 21 when the first protesters gathered on Maidan (Independence Square) in Kyiv. They demonstrated against Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to annul an agreement on Ukraine’s accession to the EU under pressure from Moscow. More than 100 people were killed in clashes with security forces during these protests, which will be commemorated on Tuesday in Kyiv with the arrival of international dignitaries.