U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has urged the Ukrainian authorities not to use military force in any form against the protesters in the country.
In a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo
Lebedev, the Pentagon chief underlined the potential damage of any
involvement by the military in breaking up the demonstrations, and
called for restraint, Assistant Pentagon Press Secretary Carl Woog said
in a statement summarizing the call.
According to him, the Ukrainian minister said that he would pass the
secretary’s message directly to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych
“Minister Lebedev stated that it is President Yanukovych’s position
not to use the Armed Forces against the protestors,” the press secretary
said.
