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Lavrov: Ukraine’s president has lost monopoly for taking decisions on use of force

Now there are battalions, which are paid much better than the regular armed forces, the Russian Foreign Minister said

MUNICH, February 7. /TASS/. Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko has lost the monopoly for taking decisions on use of force, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

"The problem is the Ukrainian president has lost the monopoly for use of force," the minister said. "Now there are battalions, which are paid much better than the regular armed forces."

"From the regular armed forces people are running to those battalions, which carry various names, like Azov, including those led by clear ultra nationalists.".

Besides, Moscow is aware of the US realistic actions in Ukraine, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov added.

"The US has announced it was a broker in transit of power in Ukraine. But we know perfectly well how it was, who discussed on the phone persons to be in future Ukrainian government, who were at Maidan, and what happens now," Lavrov said. "There have not been our military or experts."

"We want the people of Ukraine to restore its unity on the basis of national dialogue," the minister said.

"In Crimea happened what complies with the UN Charter - self-determination," the minister said. "The UN Charter has several principles, and the right of a nation for self-determination takes a key position.".