Zakharova: Ukraine Lost Its Independence After the 2014 Coup

The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, indicated that Ukraine, after the events of Maidan (the 2014 coup), lost its independence as a state and turned into a "poor and endangered region." In a statement released on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the beginning of the Maidan events, Zakharova said, "It is appropriate today to ask what the Maidan events specifically brought to Ukraine, and whether its dream of integration into the 'European family' has been realized. The answer is clear. Ukraine has transformed from a self-sufficient and industrially developed former Soviet republic, heavily populated, into a poor and endangered region." She added, "The country lost its independence and is currently funded by Western colonizers, who dictate its internal and foreign policy."