(VOVworld) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has told his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier that the Kiev government needed to stop using the army against protesters as stated in the Geneva announcement released last week.

Armed police take up positions during clashes with anti-government protesters in Independence Square in Kiev. (Photo: Reuters)

In a phone call on Sunday, the two leaders discussed Ukraine’s situation, its possible development, and the possibilities for joint action towards a political settlement in line with the ‘road map’ offered by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). They agreed on the urgent need for deescalating the tension, stopping the use of force to avoid new casualties, and creating favorable conditions for a national dialogue on constitutional reform in Ukraine.