RIA Novosti: Maidan Barricades Must Be Dismantled – Ukraine’s Klitschko

KIEV, May 26 (RIA Novosti) – Ex-boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, who claimed victory Sunday in Kiev’s mayoral vote, said that the Maidan protests have fulfilled their task and barricades in downtown Kiev must be dismantled.

“I firmly confirm that the key task of the Maidan is fulfilled,” Klitschko told journalists Monday. “I am convinced that the barricades, to date, have fulfilled their functions, and they must be dismantled. Kiev must come back to normal everyday life.”

Klitschko also called for building a memorial to those killed during the Maidan riots, adding that he hopes it is created in the near future.

The political crisis erupted in Ukraine in November 2013, when the Cabinet of Ministers announced halting the country’s European integration. The so-called Maidan protests started on Kiev’s central square and spread across the country, resulting in violent armed clashes between radicals and police, leading to around 100 deaths.

Following weeks of mass rallies, Ukraine underwent a regime change in February when the Ukrainian parliament backed by far-right movements ousted president Viktor Yanukovych, amended the country’s constitution and scheduled early elections for May 25.

[featured image is file photo]