'National squads' can exist in Ukraine only as public organizations

16:29, 30.01.2018 1 min read

Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said that "national squads" can exist in Ukraine as public organizations, but there can be no paramilitary formations in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry has reported.

"I repeat once again that in the state of Ukraine there is only one monopoly on the use of force - the state one - the National Guard, the National Police, and the Armed Forces. All other paramilitary formations that are trying to position themselves on the streets of cities are illegal. There can be all kinds of public movements, but they cannot overstep the bounds of the law," Avakov said.

He noted that there should not be any militarized movements on the streets of Ukrainian cities.

"I, as minister, will not permit the existence of parallel structures that are trying to behave on the streets as alternative military formations," Avakov said.