KIEV - Russia's Foreign Ministry warned Kiev on Tuesday that any use of force in Ukraine's eastern region could lead to civil war, as Ukraine's government seeks to regain control after pro-Moscow uprisings in three cities.
Pro-Russia protesters seized government buildings, raised Russian flags and declared new governments in Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv on Sunday.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said that reports that the protesters, including those occupying a regional administration building in the city of Donetsk, are facing a crackdown by Ukrainian authorities are of particular concern.
"We are calling for the immediate cessation of any military preparations, which could lead to civil war," it said in a statement on its official website.
The ministry alleged that what it called "American experts from the private military organization Greystone," disguised as soldiers, as well as militants from the Ukrainian far-right group Right Sector, had joined Ukrainian forces preparing for the crackdown in the country's east.
Late Monday, Ukrainian special forces cleared armed protesters from the headquarters of Ukrainian security services in Donetsk, acting President Oleksandr Turchynov's office announced Monday night.
But Ukraine's interim Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema was quoted by Russian state-run news agency ITAR-Tass as saying Tuesday that the authorities are not going to storm the city's regional administration building.
Yarema said the decision was made after talks with representatives of the protesters in the building.
A CNN team on the ground said pro-Russian protesters appear still to be in control of the building and that there is no sign of special forces nearby.
According to the deputy head of the National Security and Defense Council, Victoria Syumar, negotiations are under way between the protesters and police, coordinated by influential oligarch Rinat Ahmetov.