Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on June 21 threatened retaliation if the anti-government militants in eastern Ukraine breach the terms of the week-long unilateral ceasefire that was declared by him on Friday and is part of his peace plan.
Poroshenko issued the warning during a visit to Ukraine’s chief military hospital in Kyiv, where servicemen wounded in battles in the east of the country are taking treatment, the president’s office said in a statement.
Poroshenko told the wounded soldiers about “his visit to the site of the anti-terrorist operation,” the statement said. “The head of state said that, in case of non-compliance with the terms of the peace plan, the Ukrainian military would take appropriate action. He was commenting on reported violations of the ceasefire regime.”
“Ukraine wants peace and wants the situation to be settled in a peaceful way,” the statement quoted the president as saying.
Poroshenko said his peace plan “has been met with approval by the world community,” and received support from the U.S. and French presidents, Barack Obama and Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
“We have received powerful support for our plan and a high assessment of the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Poroshenko said.
The ceasefire expires on June 27.
