Ukraine's Poroshenko sworn in and sets out peace plan

Petro Poroshenko has been sworn in as president of Ukraine, setting out a plan to bring peace to the conflict-torn east of the country.

The 48-year-old tycoon, who won the 25 May election, offered political concessions to people in the east and said he did not want war or revenge.

But he also said he had told Russia's president that Crimea, which Moscow has annexed, would "always be Ukrainian".

Russia's ambassador said the speech was a "promising declaration of intent".

Mikhail Zurabov, who attended the inauguration, said Ukraine should end the military operation in the east, provided that militias called a ceasefire and allowed humanitarian access.

Kiev says Moscow is backing armed militants in the eastern Donbass area, an accusation that Russia denies.

Mr Poroshenko was inaugurated in the presence of dozens of foreign dignitaries - including US Vice-President Joe Biden - in parliament in the capital Kiev.

Mr Poroshenko, the owner of the Roshen chocolates group, took the oath of office and laid out a programme for ending the crisis that included an offer of early regional elections in the east and a decentralisation of power to the regional administrations.

He said: "I don't want war. I don't want revenge, despite the huge sacrifice of the Ukrainian people."

Mr Poroshenko called on separatists in the east to lay down their arms, saying he would guarantee indemnity from criminal charges to all those who did not have blood on their hands.

But he added: "Talking to gangsters and killers is not our path."

The BBC's David Stern in Kiev says part of the speech was in Russian - directed at those in strife-torn Donbass - and offered concessions on Russian language and a corridor for Russian fighters to return home.

Bakudaily.az