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Ukrainian army stays out of politics - Defence Minister

KIEV, February 1 (Itar-Tass) - The Ukrainian armed forces stay out of politics and the personnel are busy with the daily routine, Defence Minister Pavel Lebedev said on Friday.

“There have been various provocations around the armed forces. We shall not respond to any. Most of the military who have been warning society against permitting the sort of conflict and calling for an end to the latest actions that have been observed on the streets of Kiev and other Ukrainian cities lately did so of their own accord. The Ukrainian army stays out of politics. The officers and men proceed with their daily routine. The army has received no orders,” Lebedev said.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry’s press-service published a statement saying the military were concerned over the current situation in the country. Army servicemen and civilian staff reportedly urged the president to take “urgent measures to stabilize the situation.”

NATO’s Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in his microblog in Twitter urged the Ukrainian military to stay neutral and said he was following the developments in Ukraine with concern.

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