The Ukrainian leadership is doing all it can and will be doing all it can to make sure that protests in the country are peaceful, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said.

"We have done all and will be doing all we can so that protests should be unconditionally peaceful," Azarov said at a session of the OSCE Ministerial Council on Thursday.

The Ukrainian leadership takes the protests with understanding, he said.

"As a matter of fact, we treat the protests that have been addressed to us and are related to the government's decision to take a pause [in signing the association agreement with the EU] with understanding," he said.

Azarov regretted that some political figures are getting involved in these protests "to take advantage of them as means for opposing the legitimate authorities."