Ukrainian presidential candidate and independent parliamentarian Petro Poroshenko has backed the Ukrainian government's proposal to hold a nationwide roundtable.

"I am open to any form of dialogue as long as terrorists are not taking part," Poroshenko told a press conference in Kherson on Sunday, responding to a question posed by Interfax-Ukraine.

He said he rejects and resolutely condemns attempts to negotiate with the terrorists who seized administrative buildings and are only prepared to vacate them in return for money: "Across the whole world, this criminal offense is called the financing of terrorism," the candidate added.

At the same time, "if mayors arrive, if local councilors arrive, if they arrive with a position, then they are welcome," he said.

"This talk is needed any time, in any format because it is super when the people's authorized representatives exchange their thoughts," Poroshenko said.

It was reported that Ukraine's Parliamentary Speaker and Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk made a joint statement proposing to hold nationwide roundtables on national unity.

The roundtables will start next Wednesday, May 14, Yatseniuk said.