Kiev: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said late Monday he would not extend a truce with pro-Russian rebels in the country`s east, vowing instead to go on the attack.
"After examining the situation, I have decided, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, not to extend the unilateral ceasefire," Poroshenko said in an address to the nation.
"We are going to attack" the separatists who have controlled for the past two months a large part of the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, he said.
Poroshenko added however that Ukraine was not abandoning its peace plan.
"We are even ready to return to a ceasefire at any moment, when we see that all the parties agree to enact the essential points of the peace plan," he said, stressing the release of hostages and that Russia stop the saboteurs and arms dealers from crossing the Ukrainian border.
The Ukrainian president`s announcement came a few hours after his teleconference with the leaders of Germany, France and Russia, who were pushing for the ceasefire to be extended.
