EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, condemned the behaviour of Ukraine's Right Sector supporters who had besieged the building of the Ukrainian parliament to pressure lawmakers to sack the newly appointed Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.
On 28 March, Baroness Ashton said:
"I strongly condemn the pressure by activists of the Right Sector who have surrounded the
building of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Such an intimidation of the parliament is against
the democratic principles and rule of law.
I call on the Right Sector and other parties in Ukraine to refrain from the use or threat of
violence. They need to hand over any unauthorised arms to the authorities immediately.
An impartial and credible investigation into the circumstances of the death of Oleksandr
Muzychko during a detention attempt by the police is needed. I welcome the setting up of an
ad-hoc investigation committee in the Verkhovna Rada today."
Moreover, on 27 March the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine issued a joint statement condemning the tactics of the Right Sector.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine condemned the incident that took place at the Verkhovna Rada on the night of March 27 saying in a joint statement:
"This is a difficult moment in Ukraine’s history, which requires consolidation of all reform efforts, while embracing mutual respect and eschewing violence. Lasting reform in Ukraine will be a long and complex process. To be credible, it must remain democratic, transparent, and peaceful and be pursued exclusively in coordination with the nation’s democratic institutions. As in the past, we call on all sides to refrain from violence and to stick to legal methods for expressing their views and concerns and to avoid any actions which may destabilize the situation.
We welcome the statements of Pravy Sector’s leadership that they intend to keep their actions “within the framework of the law”. We urge all political forces to distance themselves from extremists, who undermine the efforts to stabilize Ukraine and to protect its sovereignty.
We urge the Ukrainian Government to ensure that those who broke the law are held accountable. We stand by previous assertions that any death which occurs in unclear circumstances should be investigated impartially in order to provide citizens the feeling of security and accountability of law enforcement organs. We welcome the establishment of the special parliamentary commission which will scrutinize all evidence on the events involving the police and resulting losses.
During this process, the United States and European Union remain committed to standing with the Ukrainian people to help them build the prosperous, democratic future they deserve."