Pro-Russian activists who have occupied government buildings in over 10 Ukrainian cities said today they would not leave until the unelected Kiev government resigns.

Denis Pushilin of the Donetsk People’s Republic organisation told reporters that the activists did not recognise the Ukrainian government as legitimate.

Russia, Ukraine, the EU and US agreed on Thursday that paramilitary groups in Ukraine should leave official buildings.

At a meeting in Geneva they reached a deal calling for all groups to disarm and immediately leave government buildings they have seized across the country.

But apparently no-one had consulted the Russian-speaking activists in Ukraine’s east.

Speaking at the occupied regional headquarters in Donetsk, Mr Pushilin noted that the deal specified that all illegally seized buildings should be vacated.

He insisted that the unelected Kiev government was also occupying public buildings illegally.

“This is a reasonable agreement, but everyone should vacate the buildings and that includes Yatsenyuk and Turchynov,” he said, referring to the Kiev government’s prime minister and president.

Mr Pushilin reiterated the call for a referendum on self-determination for the Donetsk region by May 11.

He said activists would not hand over their weapons until the Kiev “junta” halted efforts to reclaim the buildings.

“As far as disarmament goes, the Kiev junta has already begun violating its agreements since yesterday, by announcing that it will not pull its troops out of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk,” Mr Pushilin observed.

Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told the Kiev parliament yesterday that the government had drafted a law offering amnesty to all those willing to lay down arms and leave occupied government buildings in conformity with the Geneva deal.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasised on Thursday that the requirement applied to all parties.

His statement appeared to be a reference to fascist group Right Sector, whose thugs still occupy Kiev city hall.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment on Mr Pushilin’s statement.

But pro-Russian Ukrainian presidential candidate Oleh Tsaryov, whose statements often echo Moscow’s stance, said yesterday the Right Sector should be the first to respond.