NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen late Sunday urged restraint in the Ukraine amid rising tensions over the country's regional commitments, but also supported people's right to expression, dpa reported.

Referring to the "many Ukrainians" who Sunday night continued to show "strong support" for closer relations with the European Union, Rasmussen said: "It is the right of people everywhere to express their views in a democratic way."

Rasmussen urged restraint from the use of force "at all cost" and said NATO respected "all Ukrainians and the democratic ideals of the Ukrainian nation."

The NATO head said that Ukraine, as the current "holder of the chairmanship" of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, should "fully abide by its international commitments to respect the freedom of expression and assembly."

ANN.Az