Ukraine’s
Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has handed in his resignation to
protest the disbanding of the ruling coalition party.
"I am announcing my resignation in connect with the collapse of the coalition," Yatsenyuk said in Ukraine's parliament on Thursday.
He also said the parliament was no longer capable of doing its work or passing necessary laws.
Yatsenyuk’s resignation came as several parties have withdrawn from the majority European Choice coalition in anticipation of early parliamentary polls.
Earlier today Yatseniuk said the country will slap sanctions on Russia over what he called Moscow's support for pro-Russia forces in the east.
Yatseniuk has repeatedly accused Moscow of funding and supporting the forces, a claim Russia denies.
Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking regions have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Russian protesters and the Ukrainian army since the government in Kiev launched military operations in mid-April in a bid to crush the pro-Russia protests.
In May, violence escalated after Ukraine’s eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk held local referendums, in which their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine.
Hundreds of people have been killed in the ongoing military campaign in Ukraine, which has also forced tens of thousands to escape to Russia, with the majority arriving to the Russian Rostov region.
SRK/AB
