President-elect Poroshenko promises peace plan for eastern Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine, June 4 (UPI) -- Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko has promised to present a peace plan to resolve the crisis in eastern Ukraine.

Speaking with reporters after his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Warsaw on Wednesday, the newly elected president asserted that "from the very beginning, from the very day of the inauguration, we are ready to present a plan for the peaceful resolution of the situation in the east."

Poroshenko did not provide any details of his planned peace proposal but commented on his efforts to rally western support at an upcoming G7 meeting in Brussels and during meetings in Normandy on Friday for the commemoration of D-Day. "I think it will be very symbolic if precisely here in Normandy we can start to work out a process for peace in Ukraine."

American officials have emerged from their first dealings with Poroshenko -- a billionaire committed to integrating Ukraine into Europe and away from the Russian sphere of influence -- hopeful he can overhaul a corrupt and dysfunctional political system.

Meanwhile, acting President and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksandr Turchynov is in eastern Ukraine, Rada Deputy Speaker Ruslan Koshulynsky announced Tuesday to assess the situation. "I inform people's deputies that the Verkhovna Rada chairman is currently on a work trip in eastern Ukraine taking into account the difficult situation existing there."