KIEV, June 16 - Ukraine is ready to let Russian militants lay down their arms and leave its territory, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Andriy Parubiy says.

"We stress that the goal for us as a state is peace not war. We advocate that militants, Russian mercenaries disarm themselves and leave the territory of Ukraine so that in the regions faced with destabilization and hostilities we could support our citizens, provide rehabilitation after that terrible shock caused to our state by militants who came from outside and by extremist groups that operate in the territory of Ukraine," Parubiy said at a briefing following an NSDC meeting in Kiev on Monday.