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Lawmakers in Ukraine endorsed an association agreement with the European Union on Tuesday, making a decisive turn in favor of closer relations with Western neighbors in spite of the 10-month-old conflict that shift in alliance has ignited with Russia.

In a move probably intended to soften the blow to Moscow of its slipping influence over Ukraine, the deputies of the Supreme Council also approved a three-year period of greater autonomy for the separatist-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine and amnesty for most of the pro-Russia militants who have been fighting against rule from Kiev.

Those who live in Donetsk and Luhansk must have a possibility to elect new authorities for themselves and we must find understanding with these authorities and bring peace, calm, accord to the state, President Petro Poroshenko said in televised remarks after the closed-door parliamentary session that adopted the autonomy plan.

The deputies proposed the separatist-held areas carry out elections for regional leadership and deputies to the national parliament in November. The areas of Ukraine under government control have set parliamentary elections for Oct. 26.

At the closed parliamentary session, lawmakers also approved an offer of amnesty for rebel gunmen who lay down their arms and leave government buildings they have occupied since March. The offer does not extend to those who have committed major crimes, the deputies stipulated, including those suspected of shooting down a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet on July 17 and killing all 298 on board.

The legislative moves, reported by the Ukrinform news agency, were met with skeptical pledges by some separatist leaders to consider the offered concessions and by others with denunciation as far short of the full independence they seek from Ukraine.

Poroshenko must first sign the autonomy bill and bring it into force, Alexander Zakharchenko, the self-proclaimed prime minister of the separatist Donetsk People's Republic, told Russia's RIA Novosti news agency.

"Then we will translate it into Russian, study it and give our opinion, Zakharchenko said.

But another Donetsk separatist leader, Andrei Purgin, told news agencies that anything short of independence from Ukraine was "unacceptable."

This is nonsense when the Rada [Council] of Ukraine passes bills not for Ukraine, but for Donbas," Purgin was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying, referring to the separatist-held territory in the industrial Don River basin. "We have our own parliament for this purpose.

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Ukraine lawmakers approve EU pact, offer autonomy to rebel regions