The Russian Foreign Ministry has released a statement on the 10th anniversary of the pro-European protests in Kyiv’s Independence Square, blaming both Ukraine and the West for the conflict with Moscow. In her statement, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova questioned why Ukraine had become a poor and dying region as a result of events that took place in November 2013.

Zakharova also accused Western powers of determining Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been waging war against Ukraine for almost 21 months 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 protesters gathered on Maidan (Independence Square) in Kyiv to demonstrate against Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to annul an agreement on Ukraine’s accession to the EU under pressure from Moscow.

The protests resulted in more than 100 deaths and marked the beginning of Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine. On Tuesday, international dignitaries are expected to gather in Kyiv to mark the anniversary of the beginning of these protests.