Ukrainian Prime Minister steps down

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his government Jan. 28, Ukrainian business daily Fakty.ua wrote.

“In order to create additional opportunities for socio-political compromise, for the sake of a peaceful settlement of the conflict, I took a decision to ask the president to accept my resignation from the post of the prime minister,” Azarov announced to the world.

The former PM claimed that the Cabinet was doing everything possible to avoid bloodshed and human rights violations, as well as ensuring the functioning of the social security system, the paper wrote.

The first government official to announce the prime minister’s resignation was Arsen Avakov, a deputy from the opposition party Bat’kivshchyna.