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A pro-Russia activist in Donetsk. Ukraine's acting president has promised not to prosecute the activists if they end their occupationsUkraine's acting prime minister is travelling to the east of the country to try to end a stand-off with pro-Russia protesters.Arseniy Yatsenyuk willvisit the city ofDonetsk, where activists have declared a"people's republic".He will meet local leaders, including the governor of the Donetsk region and themayor of the city.The trip comes amid rising tension between Russia and the US over Russian gas supplies and troop movements.Nato says up to 40,000 Russian troops are massed near Ukraine's border.Energy ultimatumA spokesperson for Mr Yatsenyuk said he was expected to discuss transferring some powers to Ukraine's regions.Mr Yatsenyuk is also expected to travel to another eastern city, Dnipropetrovsk, which has also seen protests.As well as the local government building seized in Donetsk, activists in Ukraine's mostly Russian-speaking east are occupying a government building in the city of Luhansk.Ukrainian officials are trying to negotiate a deal whereby the protestors would vacate the buildings in return for protection from prosecution.Interior Minister ArsenAvakov had on Wednesdaysaid he expected the situation in the east to be brought under control within 48 hours, by"negotiations or force".Kiev accuses Russia of orchestrating the unrest, as a provocation similar to the protests that gripped Crimea days before Russian troops annexed the peninsula last month. Russiadenies the claim.On Thursday, Russia's President Vladimir Putinsaid gas supplies to Ukraine could be cut if Kiev did not pay offits debts, and warned this could affect gas deliveries to Europe.Russian energy giant Gazprom saysUkraine owes it $2.2bn (£1.2bn; 1.4bneuros) and recently doubled the price it must pay.
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