After weeks of Euromaidan protests, and clashes, during which civilians were killed, Prime Minister Azarov offered his letter of resignation on 28 January 2014. According to his cabinet, Azarov was quoted saying that "In order to create additional opportunities for socio-political compromise, for the sake of the peaceful settlement of the conflict, I have made a personal decision to ask the Ukrainian president to accept my resignation from the post of Ukrainian prime minister". Under the Ukrainian constitution this meant the whole government had resigned. The president subsequently accepted the resignation and signed a decree dismissing the cabinet, which decree would not take effect until the Verhovna Rada approved a new cabinet. Hence the second Azarov government continued as a caretaker government. Prime Minister Azarov was replaced by deputy prime minister Serhiy Arbuzov. But under Ukrainian law the cabinet could be able to implement its duties for no more than 60 days.