Ukraine: Fico Intimidating Slovak Public with Statements about Maidan Square

Kiev, January 23 (TASR) - Slovak Premier Robert Fico is trying to intimidate the public with claims that a group of experts involved in organising protests on Kiev's Maidan Square in late 2013 and early 2014 are now attempting a coup in Slovakia, said Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi at a press conference on Thursday, Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported on the same day. "We consider these statements to be an attempt to intimidate Slovak society and consolidate [the coalition's] own electorate - nothing more, nothing less. The same was done by the leadership in Georgia. It's a standard narrative," said the spokesman. Tykhyi added that Fico should instead reflect on his own actions, which, according to Kiev, are causing tensions in Slovak society. "It seems that the prime minister of Slovakia has pulled something out of the cupboard that went off a long time ago, and it's no longer nice to use it in public," commented Tykhyi on Fico's statements. Fico announced on Wednesday (January 22) that a group of experts is present in Slovakia who were involved in the recent large-scale anti-government protests in Georgia and, some years back, in events on Kiev's Maidan Square that led to the fall of President Viktor Yanukovych's government. According to Fico, this group is funded by the USA. On Thursday, after a meeting of the Security Council, Fico alleged that active structures in Slovakia are planning to provoke large public protests, escalate them into violence and ultimately attempt a coup. lin/df