Ukrainian President Yanukovych delivered a speech in the early morning of February 20 14 19, saying that the opposition leader's call for people to take up arms "crossed the bottom line". He accused the opposition leaders of completely ignoring the basic principles of democracy. "Political power should be gained in elections, not in streets or squares." He called on opposition leaders to draw a clear line with militants who provoked bloody conflicts immediately, and called on demonstrators to immediately lay down their weapons, stop confrontation and confess to law enforcement agencies.

Yanukovych also reiterated that it is not too late to "listen to each other's voices" and stop the conflict. Ukrainian security authorities announced that they would launch a nationwide "anti-terrorism" campaign to deal with the growing "extremist threat".

Protesters urged the military not to intervene, saying that the constitution forbids the president from using troops to attack civilians. However, the military said that according to the anti-terrorism law, the military has the right to use force or use "special methods" to arrest criminals.

The Ukrainian Defense Minister confirmed that they are sending paratroopers to Kiev, the capital, and stressed that their role is to protect government buildings and military facilities, not to confront anti-government demonstrators.

Volodymyr Zamana, Chief of General Staff of the Ukrainian Army, was dismissed from his post on February 19, 2065438. Admiral Yuriy Yili, commander-in-chief of the navy, replaced Admiral Zamana.