{{Ukraine will not prosecute pro-Russian activists occupying official buildings in two eastern cities if they surrender their weapons, Ukraine’s acting President Olexander Turchynov says.}}<\/p>\n
The separatists are holding buildings in the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk. The Kiev authorities say their actions could give Russia a pretext to invade.<\/p>\n
Ukraine has accused Russia of stirring up the unrest. Moscow has denied that.<\/p>\n
Nato says up to 40,000 Russian troops are massed near Ukraine’s border.<\/p>\n
‘Presidential order’
\nThe crisis began in November when Ukraine’s former President Viktor Yanukovych – an ally of Russia – refused to sign a far-reaching partnership treaty with the EU. That triggered huge anti-Yanukovych demonstrations and violence which led to him fleeing to Russia in February.<\/p>\n
Ukraine has launched what it calls an “anti-terrorist operation” to tackle the separatists in the east. On Wednesday Kiev said the stand-off must end within 48 hours.<\/p>\n
Mr Turchynov told parliament in the capital Kiev there would be “no criminal prosecution of people who give up their weapons and leave the buildings”.<\/p>\n
“I am willing to do this by presidential order,” he said.<\/p>\n
Ukraine fears that the Russian separatist actions are a provocation similar to the protests that gripped Crimea days before Russian troops annexed the peninsula last month.<\/p>\n
The separatists in the east – a mainly Russian-speaking region with close ties to Russia – are demanding referendums on self-rule. In Donetsk they have declared a “people’s republic”.<\/p>\n
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