Violence rocks Ukraine

KIEV (Reuters) – A Ukrainian national guardsman was killed and nearly 90 others wounded by grenades hurled from a crowd of nationalist protesters on Monday as they were guarding parliament where lawmakers backed giving more autonomy to rebel-held areas.

The violence, which the government blamed on the main nationalist party, and division in the pro-Western camp in parliament suggested President Petro Poroshenko will struggle to push through key parts of a faltering peace agreement reached in February for eastern Ukraine.

Poroshenko sprang to the defense of the constitutional reforms following the clashes outside parliament, where deputies loyal to him managed to push through a first reading of a "decentralization" draft law – but only in the face of strong criticism from some of his political allies.

In a message to the nation, he said that if parliament had not passed the draft, in line with Kiev's commitments at the peace talks in Minsk, Belarus, Ukraine would have been in danger of losing the support of its Western allies.

"There would have been a real possibility of us being left alone with the aggressor," he said.

The violence came after 265 deputies voted in favor of the bill, 39 more than that required to pass, at a boisterous session with many deputies shouting "Shame!" and rhythmically beating parliamentary benches.