The only chance to reestablish Ukrainian sovereignty over occupied territory in Donbas is to use political and diplomatic methods, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said while commenting on a rally of Azov Civil Corps members staged in the center of Kyiv on May 20 in protest against local elections in eastern Ukraine.

“I can’t help sharing some thoughts about today’s march in Kyiv. These pictures were shown first on Russian television: tires, firecrackers, reports on injured policemen and injured civilians. These pictures have been circulated deliberately to allege that some are trying to destabilize the situation in the country. I’d like to stress my absolutely clear position once again: there is no military way to retake Donbas,” Poroshenko said at a meeting of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council on May 20.