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Ukraine ruling party says it is resolute to prevent split in Ukraine

Overnight to Friday protesters “from Maidan (Kiev’s Independence Square, a site of mass riots) stormed the building of the Agrarian Ministry in Kiev, the situation has worsened across the country

© AP Photo/Sergei Grits, file

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Dozen police buses head for riotous Kiev from eastern Ukraine city

KIEV, January 24. /ITAR-TASS/. Developments in Ukraine in the recent days and on Thursday night have confirmed an absolute failure of opposition leaders to control the protesters, the ruling Party of Regions said in its statement on Friday, vowing to prevent a split in Ukraine.

Overnight to Friday protesters “from Maidan (Kiev’s Independence Square, a site of mass riots) stormed the building of the Agrarian Ministry in Kiev, the situation has worsened across the country, especially in western regions,” the statement said.

According to the ruling party, extremists had seized the buildings of regional state administrations in some Ukrainian cities - Ternopol, Lvov, Rovno, Ivano-Frankovsk and Khmelnitsky. Attempts to storm regional administration buildings had also been made in Zhitomir, Cherkassy, Poltava, Chernovtsy and Sumy, it said.

“It is getting crystal clear that a continuing seizure of administrative buildings, a bid to paralyze the work of local executive authorities as well as mobstery on the streets of Ukrainian cities confirm just one thing - the activities of opposition leaders and their sponsors from abroad are aimed at splitting Ukraine,” the statement said.

The Party of Regions noted that the president, the government and local authorities were doing all to avoid a civil standoff. “The integrity of our state and normalization of the life in the country can be achieved only through a dialogue and search for a compromise,” the statement said. “Fellow citizens, we appeal to all who care for Ukraine to stop! Irrespective of your political views, pause to think what the opposition leaders are urging you for today. Don’t be on the bit of extremists, don’t support radically-minded hatemongers! Only common sense and compliance with laws by every person will make it possible to save our families and the state,” the ruling party said in its statement.

“As a responsible political force numbering more than one million people” the Party of Regions stated “with all responsibility: we will not allow the split of Ukraine and an overthrow of the legitimately elected government”.

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