Ukraine said it would soon propose a unilateral ceasefire by its security forces to allow pro-Russia insurgents to disarm and leave the country as part of a peace plan to end separatist violence in the country’s east.
Ukraine’s military and separatists have been engaged in constant fight for more than two months in the country’s eastern provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk where pro-Russia sentiments are running high among the ethnic Russian community.
President Petro Poroshenko said on Wednesday that a 14-point peace plan would begin to be implemented with his order on unilateral ceasefire, which will be followed with administrative reforms to grant regional governments more authority.
Poroshenko’s remarks came at a military institute hours after he held phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss a permanent solution to the crisis.
“We expect that disarmament of military groups and restoration of order will take place right after the declaration of ceasefire,” Poroshenko said.
Tensions are running high in Ukraine's east as separatists in Donetsk and Lugansk declared their intention to break away from Kiev, eyeing a repeat of the situation in Crimea which was annexed by Moscow after a controversial referendum in March.
Poroshenko said his government would provide Russian fighters with a corridor in order to allow them to leave Ukrainian territory during the brief window of the ceasefire.
Among the key elements of the peace plan is a proposal of amnesty to those not guilty of capital crimes when they lay down their arms.
Pro-Russia militants downed a Ukrainian military plane in Lugansk on Saturday, killing all 49 personnel on board. On Friday, a number of Russian tanks and military equipment reportedly crossed the border and entered Ukraine.
Western countries have blamed Russia for instigating the conflict in Ukraine and supporting separatist groups, and have sought to punish Moscow by imposing economic sanctions following the annexation of Crimea.
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