KYIV. April 18 (Interfax) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said that Kyiv pledged to amnesty peaceful protesters who would agree to surrender their weapons.
"Such people will not be prosecuted, except for those who have committed grave crimes, primarily murders. No one can be forgiven for such crimes under any circumstances," Yatsenyuk said at a Ukrainian government session late on Thursday.
He also called on armed persons occupying administrative buildings in the country's eastern regions to surrender their weapons and leave these places.
According to Yatsenyuk, the Ukrainian authorities are also ready to engage in dialogue both with the country's eastern and western regions.
At their meeting in Geneva on Thursday, Russian, EU, U.S. and Ukrainian foreign ministers adopted a statement outlining initial concrete steps to de-escalate the crisis and restore security for all citizens.
The document calls on all sides to refrain from any forms of violence, intimidation and provocative actions.
Furthermore, the statement sharply condemns any "manifestations" of extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including anti-Semitism.
The terms of the agreement also say that all illegal armed groups must disarm, all illegally occupied buildings must be vacated, and all illegally occupied streets, squares and other public venues in Ukrainian cities and other localities must be emptied. Kyiv, for its part, must grant amnesty to protesters who agree to surrender their weapons and leave buildings earlier taken over by them, with the exception of those found guilty of capital offences.