Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday said that a seven-day reduction in violence promised by the Taliban will determine the government’s next steps in the country’s peace process.

Ghani said in a televised speech to the nation, “The coming steps regarding the peace process will depend on the results and our assessment from the week of reduction in violence.”

“It will clarify the direction and road for our future steps in the peace process.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US and Taliban are expected to sign an agreement on February 29.

Any future treaty is expected to stipulate a gradual withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, which is seen as the phase before the start of intra-Afghan peace negotiations.

Ghani said Afghan security forces will be “on high alert” during the week-long de-escalation, which is due to begin at midnight, and will be closely monitoring the situation.

He said security forces will only act defensively if they came under attack but that operations against other terrorist groups will continue.

Ghani said the government had demanded a full ceasefire but that the reduction was “an important step toward achieving a lasting ceasefire and peace”.

Earlier on Tuesday, The Taliban also rejected Ghani’s win, further putting into question a US peace plan that calls for a reduction in violence followed by a more permanent agreement expected to be signed Feb. 29, between Washington and the Taliban.

On Tuesday, election authorities said Ghani won 50.64% of the vote, or 923,592 ballots, while Abdullah received 39.52% or 720,841 ballots.

Abdullah’s campaign chief hinted at the use of force if the dispute could not be resolved. “We are out of the election process,” Fazal Ahmad Manawi said on Twitter. “The reasons for this lack of legitimacy is clear to all as much as the sun is.

Last week, Ghani voiced cautious optimism about a partial truce agreed between the Taliban and US and said that a further announcement was expected in the coming 10 days.

Earlier, the Afghan government disclosed a list of delegates for the peace negotiating team once the US and the Taliban finalize their peace deal.

Last year, in September, Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation had said that the US and Taliban are “at the threshold of an agreement” that would reduce violence and open the door for Afghans to sit together and negotiate.