Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said Friday that his government has proposed amnesty for pro-Russia protesters in the country's east provided that they back off.

"The amnesty would apply to those protesters, who will turn in their weapons and abandon the seized buildings," Yatsenyuk told the parliament.

The amnesty bill would be put to vote in the nearest future, Yatsenyuk said, asking for approval of the bill by parliament.

The amnesty bill is one of the concessions from Ukraine's interim authorities to pro-Russia activists aimed at ending the new wave of unrest in eastern Ukraine.

Tensions have risen in the mainly Russian-speaking east after the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych on Feb. 22. The protests turned violent last week, when pro-Moscow demonstrators seized several administrative buildings in nearly 10 cities, demanding a referendum on autonomy and closer ties with Russia.

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