Ukraine president to declare 'unilateral ceasefire' in eastern Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine, June 18 (UPI) -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced Wednesday that law enforcement would undertake a "unilateral ceasefire" in eastern Ukraine.

The decision, he said, will give pro-Russian armed separatists the opportunity to lay down their weapons and Russian mercenaries to depart Ukraine.

Poroshenko said he expected that "We should gain support to the president's peace plan by all the participants in the Donbas events immediately after that. Very quickly."

The president added that the ceasefire will be very brief. He did not specify when the "unilateral ceasefire" would be implemented, but earlier stated that a ceasefire would be imminent once the country's eastern border was secured.