Ukraine Interior Minister Demands Easterners Back Military Offensive

'The Situation Has Become Black and White'

Ukraine’s interim Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, currently leading the military invasion of cities across eastern Ukraine, has demanded that the local population stop their “foolish behavior” and start endorsing the offensive.

The situation has become black and white,” Avakov declared after announcing 20 “terrorists” were killed in today’s attack on Mariupol, ominously adding of opponents that “there can be only one answer from the Ukrainian state – annihilation.”

Avakov was elected to parliament for the first time in 2012, as a member of the Fatherland Party’s list, notably while under house arrest in Italy awaiting criminal charges related to illegal land transfers.

Avakov had previously served in several positions in Kharkiv’s provincial government, and oversaw the military’s conquest of the city last month, declaring himself the “Supreme Secretary of Kharkiv.”

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.