Ukraine’s acting president has offered an amnesty to pro-Russian protesters who have seized government buildings in the east of the country.<br /><br />Oleksandr Turchynov said he guaranteed they would not be prosecuted if they voluntarily surrendered weapons and gave up the premises.<br /><br />He added that he had spoken by phone with demonstrators who have taken over a Security Service building in Luhansk.<br /><br />But they have rejected the offer.<br /><br />“The terms offered are unacceptable to us. They are promising clemency in exchange for our giving up our weapons – this is not appropriate for us,” said Sergei Korsunsky, one of the protest leaders.<br /><br />The offer is understood also to apply to protesters in Donetsk, who are occupying the main regional government headquarters.<br /><br />The First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema, sent to the city to solve the crisis, said on Wednesday night that he hoped demonstrators would leave during the day. <br /><br />But some pro-Russian activists show no sign of giving up.<br /><br />“My mood is just fabulous. This is the Russian Spring, and it’s continuing. We’ve stood firm for a fourth night, and everybody is in a fabulous mood,” said Oleksandr, one of the demonstrators <br /><br />The 48-hour ultimatum by pro-European authorities in Kyiv for protesters to leave buildings or face force runs out on Friday.<br /><br />Pro-Russian activists have continued to ignore it and reinforce barricades.<br /><br />Separatists are openly calling on Russia’s President Putin to intervene.
