Russia blasts western 'megalomania'

Russia has accused the West of triggering the Ukrainian crisis with its “megalomania”, as fighting continued in Ukraine’s east between pro-Russia insurgents and government forces two days before a presidential election.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov urged the West to reach a settlement based on mutual interests.

“If we sincerely want to help the Ukrainian people overcome this crisis, it’s necessary to abandon the notorious zero-sum games, stop encouraging xenophobic and neo-Nazi sentiments and get rid of dangerous megalomania,” he said at a security conference in Moscow organised by the Defence Ministry.

Speaking at the same conference, the head of the Russian general staff, General Valery Gerasimov, blamed the West for encouraging massive protests that chased Ukraine’s pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych from power in February.

Russia annexed Ukraine’s region of Crimea in March, triggering the worst crisis in relations with the West since the Cold War. Pro-Russian insurgents have also seized government buildings in eastern Ukraine and fought troops for more than a month.

Gen Gerasimov criticised the Ukrainian authorities for using artillery and other heavy weapons against civilians, and claimed radical paramilitary forces and private security companies were spearheading the offensive.

Fighting in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russia insurgents raided a military checkpoint and killed 16 soldiers in the deadliest attack yet, has cast a shadow over the nation’s presidential vote set for Sunday.

Ukraine’s interim government and the West hope the vote will help stabilise the country, but the authorities in Kiev acknowledged it will be impossible to hold the vote in some areas in the east, where insurgents have declared independence and pledged to derail the vote. Election workers and activists have reported threats and interference from gunmen.

Many in the east resent the government in Kiev, seeing it as a group of nationalists bent on repressing Russian speakers in the east. But many in the rebellious regions have grown increasingly exasperated with the insurgents, whom they blame for putting civilians in the crossfire.

The village of Semenovka on the outskirts of Slovyansk, a city which has been the epicentre of clashes for weeks, has seen continuous shelling by Ukrainian forces, who have retaliated to the rebel fire.