KIEV, Ukraine - Former Ukraine President Leonid Kravchuk expressed concerns Wednesday his country is on the brink of civil war.
"There are parallel authorities in the country and there is a de-facto uprising," Kravchuk told parliament members Wednesday. "It is a revolution. It is a dramatic situation in which we must act with the greatest responsibility."
*** CBN News Sr. International Reporter George shared more about the unrest in Ukraine on CBN Newswatch, Jan. 29. Click play to watch his report from on the ground in Kiev.
Kravchuk's warning comes after two months of protests against Ukraine's current president, Viktor Yanukovych.
Peaceful demonstrations began when the pro-Russia leader abruptly rejected an agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia. It was a move that many Ukrainians fear means a return to the bad old days of Russian control over their nation.
Their fears seemed realized when Yanukovych's government passed a batch of draconian laws aimed at ending the protests, sparking violent confrontations with police and calls for the government to back down.
In attempt to quell the unrest, the country's parliament repealed a package of hardline anti-protest laws that set off violent clashes in the streets.
But Kravchuk suggested Wednesday their work is not yet done.
"We need to ease the confrontation between the sides and agree a plan to solve the conflict," he urged. "We need to work on this plan step by step to ease the confrontation."
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