Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent in Washington on April 23. The main topic of their discussion was economic cooperation between the two countries, as well as financial aid for Ukraine in the coming year.
"The Ukrainian government fully supports the conclusion of an economic partnership agreement between the American and Ukrainian peoples, as well as the creation of a reconstruction investment fund. Our negotiation teams continue active work, as outlined in the signed memorandum. The negotiating groups will report on progress by April 26 this year," emphasized Denys Shmyhal.
The parties also discussed important political aspects of the upcoming agreement. The Prime Minister highlighted that, according to Ukrainian legislation, the agreement must be ratified by the Verkhovna Rada.
Additionally, as reported by the Head of the Ukrainian Government during the meeting, both sides agreed to begin work on a free trade area between Ukraine and the U.S.
"We value the constructive tone of negotiations between our technical teams and look forward to continued fruitful dialogue for the well-being of both the Ukrainian and American peoples," emphasized Denys Shmyhal.
The Prime Minister also expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump for signing an executive order extending sanctions against Russia for another year, as well as for extending the ban on Russian-owned ships or those linked to Russia from entering U.S. ports.
"It is necessary to intensify sanctions pressure on the aggressor to force them into peace. In particular, we discussed strengthening sanctions on Russia's energy sector in connection with the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant," noted Denys Shmyhal.
He also thanked the American people for their extraordinary and comprehensive support during Russia's full-scale invasion.
