Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko has hinted that he is ready to sit down with pro-Russia protesters in an attempt to ease the ongoing crisis in the southeast of the country.
Speaking on Wednesday at a meeting with Serhiy Taruta, the governor of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Poroshenko raised the possibility of holding “roundtable” negotiations with “different parties” if pro-Moscow activists agree to “lay down their weapons.”
“We do not need negotiations for the sake of negotiations. Our peace plan must become the basis for further de-escalation of the conflict,” he said, further speaking of plans to make a visit to Donetsk in the future.
The Ukrainian president’s remarks came three days after he said fighting in the country’s southeastern parts must stop by the end of this week.
Poroshenko, who was inaugurated on June 7, had previously ruled out negotiations with the pro-Russians, vowing to continue the military operations in the country’s southeast, Press TV informs.
