Hundreds of Ukrainian right-wingers rallied in Kyiv on July 21 to protest against government policies in the wake of a deadly standoff between radical nationalists and police in the country's west.

Right Sector leader Dmytro Yarosh announced that his group would start a campaign to conduct a national referendum on whether President Petro Porshenko and his government should be impeached and an “absolute blockade” set up against territory in eastern Ukraine under the control of pro-Russian separatists.

Yarosh said a referendum should also ask whether Ukrainians support the legal recognition of volunteer militia units and their right to carry arms as well as the introduction of martial law -- which he said would help defeat the rebels in the east.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on July 21 that Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists have reached a preliminary agreement to extend a pull-back of armaments in eastern Ukraine to include tanks and smaller weapons.

With additional reporting by Reuters and Interfax