WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The violence in the western Ukrainian town of Mukachevo where Saturday’s shootout between police officers, employees at a local business and Right Sector militants left 3 people dead and 13 injured is absolutely intolerable, US State Department spokesperson John Kirby told journalists on Wednesday.
“The violence you are referring to is totally unacceptable, totally unacceptable. And we expect all — no matter their affiliation — Ukrainians or organization, to respect law and order,” Kirby said.
John Kirby also told journalists that the Ukrainian government was responsible for determining the role of the country’s far-right Right Sector group within Kiev’s security forces.
“In terms of the Right Sector and where they are in terms of Ukraine’s security apparatus is up to the government of Ukraine to decide how this integration is going to be implemented,” Kirby said. “We continue to urge the Ukrainian government as we have to complete this transition as soon as possible precisely because of concerns such as that gun battle reported over the weekend.”
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko called the Right Sector’s attacks acts of terrorism and said that political parties should not have their own armed groups.
The Right Sector’s press service said its members were trying to dismantle smuggling routes, allegedly controlled by local officials, when they claim police opened fire on them without warning.
The Right Sector paramilitary group played a major role in the violent clashes with police that led to the February 2014 government overthrow.
In January 2015, the Russian Ministry of Justice banned the group in Russia.
