Thousands of far-right and nationalist activists have marched through Ukraine's capital Kiev protesting against President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's leadership and his long-awaited peace plan for eastern Ukraine.
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Zelenskiy sought to improve his patriotic credentials by visiting Ukrainian troops on the front line of the five-year conflict against Moscow-backed separatists, which has killed at least 13,000 people.
But police were deployed around key sites in the Ukrainian capital as around 10,000 people marched under a blanket of yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flags through Kiev, in one of several nationalist gatherings on Monday to mark defence of the homeland day.
Zelenskiy urged participants to avoid violence and warned of potential "provocations" from those who want to stoke chaos.
Black-clad men holding up red flares like torches led the procession, some in white masks to conceal their identity. "Glory to Ukraine!" they chanted. "No capitulation!"
The crowd included veterans of the conflict who are urging Zelenskiy not to allow a troop withdrawal, local elections or amnesty for separatists. All are elements of a long-stalled peace plan that the Ukrainian president is trying to revive.
Ukraine, Russia and the separatists signed an accord earlier this month to pull back heavy weaponry and to hold an election in the area at a later date. The pullback has not occurred because of shelling from both sides and threats from Ukrainian hardliners to hamper the disengagement.
Earlier on Monday, a crowd gathered in front of the president's administration, accusing the president of being a "servant of the Kremlin" and is trying to "strike a deal with the devil".
Critics call the accord a "capitulation" to Russia and fear it will lead to Russia having the upper hand in deciding the future for the conflict-torn region.
Australian Associated Press