Mainstream unionists reacted with a high degree of scepticism to the statement from the Sinn Fein leaders urging the IRA to call a new ceasefire and they accused the British government of caving in to the IRA. The Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, said he hoped that any ceasefire would be "complete, universal and permanent and will lead to the disarmament and disbandment of terrorist organisations".
In the event of there being any talks, they would have to based on the fundamental principles of the Downing Street Declaration, "namely a commitment to exclusively peaceful means and a willingness to abide by democratic processes".
The UUP security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, said that his party could not take anything the IRA might say at face value. They would be looking for "a complete, permanent and universal ending of violence and a quick disarmament and disbandment of terrorist organisations".
He said that the UUP would not turn its back on an opportunity for peace, but a "ceasefire with the weapons all stockpiled to return to violence at a time of their choosing" was not something they could base a political agreement on. It would produce only instability.
The deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Mr Peter Robinson, said that if the IRA called a ceasefire it would only be for tactical reasons and because they had got everything they asked for.
Mr Robinson said: "They can enter the talks. They don't have to indicate that they are permanently going to give up their violence, so they can take the gun out when they wish to again. They don't have to hand over any weapons in order to come in and they have got the framework document as the basis for negotiations. Why on earth would the IRA not call a ceasefire in all of those circumstances?"
However, Mr Billy Hutchinson, of the Progressive Unionist Party, which is associated with the UVF, welcomed the statement. "I think it can only be good for the country. It means no more British citizens will be killed if these people do what Sinn Fein asks them."
He said that Sinn Fein should be allowed into talks. "It's important we get a ceasefire. Everybody has been asking the IRA for a ceasefire. Now that we're getting one, let's get them into talks, because we believe, as a unionist party, that there is not going to be a united Ireland, and Sinn Fein, when they're in talks, are going to have to look at that."
Mr Hutchinson said it was important that unionists, and particularly Mr David Trimble, remained at the talks table to make sure they were not "outmanoeuvred by Sinn Fein".
Mr Gary McMichael, of the Ulster Democratic Party, which has links with the UDA, said that his welcome for an IRA cessation "would have to be weighted with scepticism and suspicion" because of how the IRA had acted during the last ceasefire. He said any ceasefire would have to mean "an absolute end to all military operations".
Mr McMichael said that a ceasefire was only the first step. The second step would be to determine the nature of that ceasefire. "We would expect that the government would do so in the coming six weeks", he said.
Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, Ulster Unionist MP for Lagan Valley, said that the British government had given in to the IRA.
He said from discussions held on Thursday between his party and the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, it was "pretty clear" that the government had given the IRA virtually everything it had asked for. "So the next tactic we expected was a ceasefire, and I think that's what we are going to get."