Ukrainian lawmakers from Communist Party and the radical nationalist right-wing Svoboda (Freedom) Party fight during a parliament session in Kiev on April 8, 2014. The fight was provoked by different opinions on what is causing the unrest in eastern Ukraine. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko | License Photo

Ukrainian lawmakers from Communist Party and the radical nationalist right-wing Svoboda (Freedom) Party fight during a parliament session in Kiev on April 8, 2014. The fight was provoked by different opinions on what is causing the unrest in eastern Ukraine. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko | License Photo

Ukrainian lawmakers from Communist Party and the radical nationalist right-wing Svoboda (Freedom) Party fight during a parliament session in Kiev on April 8, 2014. The fight was provoked by different opinions on what is causing the unrest in eastern Ukraine. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko | License Photo

Ukrainian lawmakers from Communist Party and the radical nationalist right-wing Svoboda (Freedom) Party fight during a parliament session in Kiev on April 8, 2014. The fight was provoked by different opinions on what is causing the unrest in eastern Ukraine. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko | License Photo

Ukrainian lawmakers from Communist Party and the radical nationalist right-wing Svoboda (Freedom) Party fight during a parliament session in Kiev on April 8, 2014. The fight was provoked by different opinions on what is causing the unrest in eastern Ukraine. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko | License Photo

Ukrainian lawmakers from Communist Party and the radical nationalist right-wing Svoboda (Freedom) Party fight during a parliament session in Kiev on April 8, 2014. The fight was provoked by different opinions on what is causing the unrest in eastern Ukraine. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko | License Photo

Ukrainian lawmakers from Communist Party and the radical nationalist right-wing Svoboda (Freedom) Party fight during a parliament session in Kiev on April 8, 2014. The fight was provoked by different opinions on what is causing the unrest in eastern Ukraine. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko | License Photo

Ukrainian lawmakers from Communist Party and the radical nationalist right-wing Svoboda (Freedom) Party fight during a parliament session in Kiev on April 8, 2014. The fight was provoked by different opinions on what is causing the unrest in eastern Ukraine. UPI/Ivan Vakolenko | License Photo

KIEV, Ukraine, April 8 (UPI) -- Members of the Ukrainian parliament traded blows during a tense session in which nationalist and separatist factions blamed each other for the recent unrest.

Tempers flared as members starting trading punches after a faction of the parliament accused the other for causing Ukraine's current political crisis by bringing down the government of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.


The two factions have cracked under pressure as nationalists want to move to closer ties with Europe and separatists want to renew their ties with Russia. The divide began the protest that toppled the Yanukovych government after he abandoned negotiations with the EU to ally with Russia in order to get loans that would save Ukraine's collapsing economy.

[BBC]