Ukraine demo calls for de-escalation of tension

Demonstrators formed a human chain in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Saturday for the annual Unity Day, which marks the anniversary of the country’s unification. About 200 people held the 30-meter-long (100 ft) Ukrainian flag, gathering on both sides of the Dnieper River to show the union of Ukraine’s east and west. On January 22, 1919, the territories of the eastern Ukrainian People’s Republic and the western Ukrainian People’s Republic signed the Unification Act. The rally was also a show of solidarity amid the recent escalation of tensions with Russia. The concentration of an estimated 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine has fueled Western fears that Moscow is poised to attack its neighbor. Moscow has repeatedly denied having plans to launch an offensive.