Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday he was confident that his peace deal with pro-Russian insurgents means the “most dangerous” part of the five-month conflict is over.

“I have no doubt that my peace plan will work. I have no doubt that the biggest, most dangerous part of the war is already behind us, thanks to the heroism of Ukrainian soldiers,” Poroshenko said at his first press conference since he assumed office in early June.

The separatist uprising has killed more than 3,200 people and driven 650,000 from their homes.

The ex-Soviet country’s worst crisis since its 1991 independence has also damaged East-West relations and stoked fears across eastern Europe of Russian territorial ambitions.

Ukraine’s parliament had last week backed Poroshenko’s plan for rebel-held parts of the Russian-speaking east to hold local council elections December 7 that would help restore law and order, but not pursue any independence claims.