Russia is issuing an ominous warning about its neighbor Ukraine:  That the street protests against the pro-Moscow president may be spinning out of control; and no matter what happens, it will not stand by if Ukraine splits into two.

“Russia will do its utmost to help prevent (the breakup of Ukraine) and to stabilize the situation,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a news conference in Moscow.  He didn’t elaborate on what measures Russia would take, but said, “Ukraine is our neighbor, partner, friend and brother and there can be no two opinions.”

Lavrov accused the western powers of meddling in the affairs of Ukraine, which it considers to be within its traditional sphere of influence.  Moscow has watched nervously as protesters have brought Kiev to a standstill for several weeks, over President Viktor Yanukovich's decision to shun an economic and political pact with the European Union.  Last month, US and European officials spoke to the protest camps in Kiev.

But the protests have in recent days grown more acrimonious and violent.  There were always cases of protesters and police clashing, but now there are vehicles burning in the streets.  And protest leader and former heavyweight boxer Vitali Klitschko over the weekend said he “didn’t rule out the possibility of civil war”. 

Today, some of the nationalist parties that make up the opposition accused the government of encouraging the violence by refusing to negotiate and trying to split the movement.  That, so far, has not happened.  And Klitschko says it isn’t going to happen.

“Three things unite us,” says Klitschko of the opposition, “The first is disagreement with the current economic situation;  the second is that we see European integration as the only future for Ukraine;  and the third is the struggle against the current authoritarian regime.”