Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko proposed a unilateral cease-fire Wednesday to end the violent conflict in east Ukraine after consulting with Russian and German leaders. 

The new plan could bring peace to the country, which has been racked by internal fighting for more than two months. 

Poroshenko said the cease-fire would offer pro-Russia separatists who have been fighting in the east the choice to either halt the violence or leave the country, The Associated Press reports. The cease-fire could also help thaw the icy relations between Russia and the United States and the European Union, as the West has levied heavy sanctions on Russia due to Moscow's annexation of Crimea. 

Poroshenko discussed the potential cease-fire over the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday, and also discussed it with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 

"The plan will begin with my order for a unilateral cease-fire," Poroshenko told reporters. "I can say that the period of the cease-fire will be rather short. We anticipate, that immediately after this, the disarming of the illegal military formations will take place."

He added that rebels who lay down their arms and have not committed major crimes will be granted amnesty. 

Poroshenko, who won the first national election after the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych in February, pledged to broker peace in his inaugural address on June 7. He said he was willing to negotiate with the pro-Russia rebels, but would not speak with "terrorists" who committed grievous crimes. 

Pro-Russia separatists in the east have said they are not willing to have talks until Ukrainian troops withdraw from eastern provinces. 

Denis Pushilin, one of the leaders of the Donetsk's People's Republic, a pro-Russia group fighting in Donetsk, said on Russian television that Poroshenko's offer is "senseless."

"They cease fire, we lay down weapons, and then they will capture us weaponless," he said. 

Poroshenko said that Ukrainian forces would stand down, which is a condition that Russia has been continuously demanding. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Koval also said that the cease-fire could begin within days. 

Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said that a cease-fire will be "comprehensive" and permanent, and that it could be followed by negotiations to solidify the terms of the cease-fire. The cease-fire will also be contingent upon securing the border with Russia. 

Poroshenko also nominated Pavel Klimkin, the ambassador to Germany, to replace current foreign minister Andriy Deshchytsia this week. The nomination could help improve relations with Moscow, as Russia turned against Deshchytsia after he joined an anti-Putin chant when trying to quell protesters in Kiev over the weekend. 

The implementation of the cease-fire would allow the Kremlin to withdraw from the crisis without upsetting nationalist groups in Russia who have demanded that Putin send troops to fight in Ukraine. It would allow Putin to stay out of the fray while potentially defusing tensions with the West and avoiding more economic sanctions. 

The cease-fire will allow rebels to stand down, and will enable Russia to boast that it protected Russian speakers in east Ukraine. Conversely, Poroshenko will be able to declare victory over the rebels in the east. 

If a cease-fire is enacted, Ukraine could work on repairing its ailing economy and uniting east Ukraine, where there are many Russian speakers and pro-Russia citizens, with the mostly pro-Europe west. 

The achievement of peace will also allow Poroshenko to hold parliamentary elections, as he previously promised. 

However, it is still unclear if the rebels will respect the terms of the cease-fire. 

Alexander Borodai, a political consultant in Moscow and the self-proclaimed prime minister of the Donetsk People's Republic, thanked Russia at a meeting of Russia's parliament Tuesday. He thanked the country for a "steady flow of volunteers coming from Russia who fight for the interests of people of Donbass."

Yet, he said that many Russians do not want Donbass and other eastern regions to join Russia. 

The fighting in Donetsk and Luhansk came to a head in April when pro-Russia rebels seized government buildings and declared independence from Ukraine after the regions voted for secession from the country in a controversial referendum. 

The Ukrainian military has been fighting against the insurgents, who shot down a military transport plane Saturday, killing all 49 people on board. 

According to the United Nations, at least 356 people, including 257 civilians, have been killed since May 7, and there has been more than 200 reports of torture since the fighting began. 

The U.N. reports that the dangerous, uncertain climate in the country has led to the displacement of 34,000 people.