You're reading: Poroshenko promises peace, offers terms to insurgents (VIDEO)

In his first speech given as president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko promised to achieve peace, unity and European integration for Ukraine while in office.

Ukrainians held their breath on June 7 as the country’s newly elected president addressed the nation in his first speech after taking oath of office.

Poroshenko promised to outline his plan for
answering Ukraine’s multiple challenges, including a military conflict in the country’s restive eastern regions, the annexation of Crimea and a deep economic crisis.

After taking his oath in parliament, Poroshenko said he would work to gain peace, preserve unity of the nation, normalize relations with Russia and finalize signing an association agreement with European Union as soon as possible.

President Petro Poroshenko gave his inaugural speech in parliament on June 7.

“I am coming to the president’s post to preserve the unity of the nation,” Poroshenko said. “I don’t want war, I don’t strive for revenge even though before my eyes are the victims suffered by the Ukrainian people. I want peace.”

Ukraine’s lawmakers, top officials, three former presidents and several dozens of foreign guests, including numerous heads of state, burst in applause and stood up hearing this.

Attending were the presidents of Austria, Lithuania, Poland, Georgia. Leaders as different as the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Belarus President Alexandr Lukashenko were seen at the inauguration.

Poroshenko’s family, including his wife, son and father were also present.

Taking the oath in an inauguration ceremony in parliament, Poroshenko, who will be the post-Soviet country’s fifth president since independence in 1991, pledged to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence and safeguard the rights and freedoms of its citizens. Leaders of 20 countries attended the ceremony in the capital, Kyiv, including long-time Russian ally Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, as well as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden

In the beginning, Poroshenko asked for a minute of silence to commemorate “all those who died for independence of Ukraine.”

“Our people have never been as strong as now,” he said.

Addressing the nation, Poroshenko said that Ukrainians couldn’t feel safe till the conflict with Russia was settled. He insisted that Crimea peninsula, occupied by Russians in March, remains Ukrainian.

“Russia
occupied Crimea that was, is, and will be Ukrainian. And yesterday I
told about this to Russian president in Normandy,” he added sparking one
more long applause.

Poroshenko offered the insurgents fighting in Ukraine’s east to lay down the weapons. If they do, he promised they won’t face charges – unless they “have blood on their hands.” Those who participated in financing terrorists will see no mercy, Poroshenko said.

He also promised a controlled corridor for the Russian hirelings who are fighting in Ukraine to let them go back to Russia. 

Poroshenko switched to Russian to address the residents of Donbas eastern region, where Russian is the dominating language. Poroshenko promised the easterners to come with plan for development of the region, which he already prepared with the help of the European partners. This plan includes giving more authority to the region, ensuring the region’s right to speak Russian language and a joint project with EU “for economic reconstruction of Donbas.”

“We are ready to conduct a pre-term local elections in Donbas to get a negotiating partner,” he said, adding that he will not “talk to bandits” and “there is no discussion about territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

At the same time Poroshenko insisted that despite decentralization of power he promised to the eastern regions, Ukraine will remain unitarian state and Ukrainian language will stay the only state language in the country.

“Ukraine is diverse but it is united by spirit,” he said.

Poroshenko, who once served as a foreign minister, also promised to apply all his diplomatic experience to sign a new international agreement that would secure Ukraine’s territorial integrity and replace the Budapest Memorandum, that failed to do so.

Poroshenko said that he will strive for signing of economical part of association agreement with the EU as soon as possible.

“My pen is in my hands. As soon as the EU takes the decision, a signature of Ukraine’s president will immediately appear under this fateful agreement,” he said.

Poroshenko also promised that by the beginning of 2015 year the Ukrainians will enjoy visa free regime with Europe.
Poroshenko also promised that he would not revise the current state of parliament-presidential republic for Ukraine and mentioned that pre-term parliament elections must be held as a “step for decentralization.”

He also talked about the need to destroy the corruption, the level of which had reached the unprecedented scale during the rule of the previous government.

“We need a national anti-corruption pact between authorities and people. Its sense is simple: officials don’t take and people don’t give (bribes),” he said.