Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko declared a week long unilateral ceasefire with pro-Russian separatists fighting in parts of eastern Ukraine. The ceasefire is expected to serve as the basic conditionality for working out a peace plan with the separatists.

Domestic media however reported that the opposition has not shown any signs of cooperation towards the cease fire. The Ukrainian president visited selected regions in eastern Ukraine on Friday and interacted with residents. Poroshenko has issued an ultimatum that those who refuse to take advantage of the week long ceasefire should be destroyed.

Poroshenko also said that he would invite the Organization for Security Co-operation (OSC), Europe, to monitor the ceasefire. Russia has not responded positively to the ceasefire and said that it was not an invitation to peaceful negotiation, but an ultimatum.

Domestic media reported that pro-Russian separatists have refused to lay down their arms until government troops quit the region. Poroshenko is also considering the possibility of creation of a buffer zone on the Ukrainian-Russian border for creating a safe corridor to facilitate the exit of pro-Russian separatists.