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Thousands protest against east Ukraine’s troop pullback

Monday, 14 October 2019 3:11 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 14 October 2019 3:16 PM ]

Demonstrators shout slogans as they gather in central Kiev, Ukraine, on October 6, 2019 to protest broader autonomy for pro-Russia separatist territories. (Photo by AFP)

Thousands of Ukrainians have marched in Kiev, decrying a mooted pullback of troops fighting pro-Russia forces in the east and calling for victory in the five-year war.

Monday marks the anniversary of the foundation of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a group of nationalists who fought against Soviet troops in World War II alongside Nazi forces.

Nationalist forces customarily hold the "UPA March" on this date, with many of the former fighters in the conflict in eastern Ukraine among the demonstrators, as well as supporters of nationalist organization Svoboda.

October 14 has also been designated as Ukraine's armed forces day.

Demonstrators wave Ukraine national flags as they gather in central Kiev on October 6, 2019 to protest broader autonomy for pro-Russia separatist territories in the east of the country. (Photo by AFP)

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky is gearing up for a EU-supported summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the first in years, in an effort to revive a stalled peace process for the region.

Protesters, however, said they saw any summit with Putin as a loss for Ukraine.

Zelensky took over in May from president Petro Poroshenko, pledging to end the conflict, but his efforts for new talks with Russia have been criticized.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine has become the worst East-West crisis since the end of the Cold War and claimed 13,000 lives.

(Source: AFP)

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