国际英语新闻:Russia concerned over Ukrainian opposition' attempts to inflame crisis

MOSCOW, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Moscow is concerned with the attempts of Ukrainian opposition to inflame the current security crisis in the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday.

"We expect that the opposition in Ukraine would abandon threats and ultimatums and start more active dialogue with the authorities in searching of constitutional ways of getting the country out of the deep crisis," the ministry said in an online comment.

Russia took note of the calls of some Ukrainian opposition leaders to stage protests rallies at the government establishments in Ukraine's regions, expressing its bewilderment over these moves undertaken shortly after the opposition's meetings with Western representatives in Munich last week.

The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Ukrainian opposition leaders on Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference and reaffirmed U.S. support for the opposition.

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy also admitted that Ukraine is currently a common concern of European countries.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara, who was also present at the conference, blamed the opposition for not honoring a deal with the government, which, according to Kozhara, has met all the demands put forward by the opposition.

Protests in Ukraine, which began last November to back the country's European integration, turned violent on Jan. 19, when radical activists attacked riot police with fireworks and petrol bombs.