Agro Perspectiva

Ukrainian PM Arsenii Yatseniuk meets with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington

13.03.2014 11:29 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) — On Wednesday, March 12, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arsenii Yatseniuk met with the U. S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington. According to Yatseniuk, there was «an open discussion on how to overcome the ongoing crisis that Ukraine is facing.» The Prime Minister noted that the particular attention has been focused on the military incursion that the country is facing. «Ukraine is fighting for its freedom, its independence and sovereignty. We will never give up», he underlined. As the Prime Minister emphasized, the military challenge is the most important for Ukraine now. "We call on Russia to comply with international obligations, to withdraw its army to the barracks and to launch a dialogue — without guns, tanks and army, but through diplomatic and political steps. «We still believe that there is a chance to withdraw Russian military using diplomatic and political means,» said Yatseniuk. «On behalf of the government of Ukraine, I would like to state that we are fully prepared and open to negotiations with the Russian Federation. We adhere to all international obligations and we as the Ukrainian state will fulfill all of our bilateral and multilateral international agreements,» the Prime Minister underlined. As Yatseniuk noted, in the near future, «the next week or within ten days» Ukraine has to sign the political part of the Association Agreement with the EU. «We want to make it clear that Ukraine is and will be part of the Western world,» Yatseniuk said. He stressed that the Russian partners «must realize that we are ready to create a new type of relationship where Ukraine is part of the EU, as well as a good friend and partner of Russia.» "Everything depends on whether Russia wants these talks and on how it continues seeing Ukraine — as a partner or a subordinate country. After all, we will never give up and will do anything to maintain peace, stability and independence of Ukraine ", the Prime Minister said. The PM thanked the U.S. president, the U.S. government and the American people for supporting Ukraine. Yatseniuk also praised the U.S. leader’s decision to allocate $1 billion to Ukraine in loan guarantees for the development of the Ukrainian economy. He said that Ukraine has resumed talks with the IMF, and the government is ready to carry out real reforms in Ukraine: «We recognize that these reforms will be complex, but the Ukrainian state requires them.» «We believe that in the near future, the government of Ukraine will be ready to conduct real changes. But the main prerequisite is to stop Russian armed forces,» said the Prime Minister. Within the framework of his working visit to the United States on March 12–13, Arsenii Yatseniuk is due to hold meetings in the U. S. Congress, as well as with the leadership of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. On Thursday, March 13, the Ukrainian Prime Minister will participate at a session of the UN Security Council in New York, at which the situation in Ukraine will be discussed.