The Ukrainian opposition leaders should indicate clearly whether they support their followers' aggressive and violent actions against security forces on Hrushevskoho Street in Kyiv, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said.
“They should air their position clearly and unambiguously within the
next few days. If they support these thugs, these extremists and
instigators, then they should say: ‘Yes, we are together’. And bear
responsibility for this. If they don’t support them, then they should
side with the authorities to remove these thugs and instigators from the
capital’s streets,” Azarov said on Facebook on Tuesday evening.
The Ukrainian prime minister believes responsibility for the violent
clashes in central Kyiv rests primarily with the opposition leaders who
have instigated the participants in the opposition rallies on
Independence Square in Kyiv to act against the government and tried to
destabilize the situation in the country as much as they could.
Azarov also thanked the law enforcement for exercising restraint in
the clashes with protesters on Hrushevsky Street. “And I am grateful to
law enforcement officials who are displaying restraint right now,” he
said.
The prime minister is convinced that the opposition should scale down
the protests, even peaceful ones, and rule out any aggression. “The
president’s and the government’s primary duty in the current situation
is to prevent the escalation of forcible confrontation,” he said.
