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Ukraine: Pro-Russian separatists offered amnesty if they disarm

Ukraine’s acting Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk has promised to give pro-Russian separatists amnesty if they lay down their weapons and leave buildings they’ve occupied in eastern Ukraine. His words came after Thursday’s deal by the US, EU, Russia and Ukraine in Geneva, however the issue of territory remains. Speaking to the Kyiv parliament the acting Ukrainian prime minister said: “Crimea is Ukrainian territory. People in Donetsk and Luhansk have had their property taken from them. Vladimir Putin, it’s our Crimea, our Yalta, our sea and our territory.” The self-declared leader of the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, Dennis Pushilin, has reportedly said he doesn’t consider his men to be bound by an agreement between Russia and Ukraine. He has said he will only consider leaving public buildings when the Kyiv government steps down. One pro-Russian Sloviansk resident said he feels “besieged from all sides by the army” and they’ve decided they want “federalism and a referendum.” It’s clear that difficulties remain despite the Geneva agreement. Several issues were not addressed including the build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border or the increased NATO presence on Russia’s western border announced on Wednesday.