Ukrainian PM expecting military, financial messages from G7

G7 has reiterated its support to Ukraine and the continuation of pressure on Russia, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has told the Ukrainian community in the United States during his working visit to Washington DC.

Ukraine was a central item on the agenda of the G7 summit in Germany, he said. "The statement released at the end of the G7 summit demonstrates that no one has taken a single step back," the press service has quoted Yatseniuk as saying.

Also, G7 countries declared that "the sanctions could be lifted only after the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements," the prime minister said.

He noted that the Western partners should never forget about the Crimea issue and recalled that the G7 summit statement "condemned the illegal annexation of Crimea."

"Rather important political messages have been sent but they should be supplemented with financial, economic and military [messages]," Yatseniuk said.

He underlined the importance of the delivery of defensive weapons to Ukraine. "Ukraine is not the only one needing these weapons; the weapons will protect eastern borders of the EU. We are protecting Europe," Yatseniuk said.

Speaking of financial cooperation between Ukraine and the United States, Yatseniuk said that a Ukrainian-U.S. investment conference would be held in Washington DC on July 13. "We want to set in motion the privatization process. If U.S. investors decide to invest in Ukrainian state-owned companies, we want to sell them on most transparent terms and to welcome U.S. owners to the Ukrainian territory," he said.

In his opinion, U.S. investors will bring new standards, corporate management methods and new investment culture.