Here's a video report from VOA about how the conflict has divided people in the Luhansk district of eastern Ukraine:

This U.S. senator seems to be in favor of sending lethal aid to Ukraine:

Good morning. We'll start our live blog today with this item from RFE/RL's news desk:

The pro-government Aidar volunteer battalion has staged a protest in downtown Kyiv against a decision to disband the unit.

Some 300 people, many wearing military camouflage uniforms, gathered outside the Ukrainian Defense Ministry building on February 2 after attending a ceremony for members of the unit killed in fighting in eastern Ukraine.

The group blocked traffic in the area and some of them set tires on fire near the entrance to the ministry building.

The Defense Ministry's press service denied that the volunteer unit was being disbanded and said the "organizational changes" being made to the Aidar battalion did not involve any changes in personnel.

The protesters had left the scene by evening and traffic was again moving in the area.

The Ukrainian government has been trying to exert more control over volunteer battalions, some of which have been accused by international rights groups of committing crimes in the conflict areas of eastern Ukraine, including torture and executions.

(UNIAN, TASS, Interfax)

The concludes our live blogging for Monday, February 2. We'll close with this wrap-up from our newsroom:

Lavrov Claims Obama's Remarks Prove U.S. Backed Ukraine 'Coup'

Via Reuters, quotes from Aleksandr Zakharchenko, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, and Igor Plotnitsky, leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, at a news conference in Donetsk today.

Zakharchenko: "That the Minsk talks were wrecked was not our fault. We sent our real envoys there, Denis Vladimirovich Pushilin, [self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic representative], and Vladislav Deinego, [self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic representative] who had all the power to sign and to discuss any questions related to the withdrawal of heavy weapons, cease-fire, etc..."

Plotnitsky: "The derailment of the Minsk agreement lies with Kyiv, with [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko. He does not want it, he is not interested. Most likely, all Minsk agreements are just cover under which Mr. Poroshenko hides his insecurity, misunderstanding, or even something bigger."