Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that despite the aggression in eastern Ukraine, the country is continuing its reforms

"Aggression must not stop reforms. We've conducted many important reforms," Poroshenko said at the 11th annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting in New York on Sunday.

Poroshenko said that very important steps to decentralize power and fight corruption are being made in Ukraine.

He also said that in this situation, Ukraine needs transatlantic unity and the solidarity of the international community

Poroshenko said that Ukrainians are not only fighting for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of their country, but also "for the freedom and democracy of the whole world."

"After the annexation of Crimea and aggression in the east of Ukraine, we are living in an absolutely different world," he said.

Poroshenko said that Ukraine needs two things from the world: Transatlantic unity, including the U.S., Canada, EU and Japan, and secondly, Ukrainians need solidarity with Ukraine.

He said that Ukrainians want to define their development themselves.

Poroshenko also informed those present at the conference that around 6,500 civilians and 2,500 Ukrainian military personnel have given their lives for Ukraine to become a European democratic state. He also said that around 500,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as a consequence of Russian aggression.

He went on to say that Ukraine needs assistance to enhance its defensive capability, adding that "Ukraine is an outpost of global security and freedom."