© Reuters / Valentyn OgirenkoUkrainian President Petro Poroshenko
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced a ceasefire plan for government troops in the East of the country. The move comes
after a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin which allegedly discussed a ceasefire.
As part of the proposed plan,
Poroshenko is calling for all pro-federalization forces in the region to lay down their arms.
"The plan will begin with my order for a unilateral cease-fire," he said, while refraining from mentioning when he would give the order. Poroshenko, who was elected president in a May 25 vote
boycotted by many voters in eastern Ukraine, stressed that all parties involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine must adhere to the plan, Interfax news agency reported.
The president said that
Ukraine would also close its border with Russia, as the Kiev government claims that pro-federalization forces are being sent reinforcements from neighboring Russia.
"There is a big risk that criminals may take advantage of the ceasefire," Poroshenko said. He added that an amnesty would be offered to those who had not committed crimes against Ukraine during the ongoing conflict in the east of the country,
while so-called "mercenaries" will be given the chance to leave the country.
Poroshenko's government believes that most of the violence in eastern Ukraine has been caused by Russian mercenaries,
something which Moscow categorically denies. The Russian government has condemned the deployment of Kiev's punitive
"anti-terrorist" operation in eastern Ukraine and urged the Ukrainian government to withdraw their troops on a number of occasions.
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