Ukraine wants to be part of the ‘civilized world’, not the ‘Russian empire’ – Ukrainian PM

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Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, said on Friday that his countrymen want to be part of Europe and what he called the civilized world and not integrated into the Russian empire.

Shmyhal made the comments during a meeting in Washington with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who promised continued military and economic assistance for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion of the country.

“I’m looking forward to having an opportunity to hear from the prime minister about what we can continue to do to support Ukraine in its in its fight for independence, for sovereignty, a fight that it will win,” Blinken said.

Moscow wants to take full control over southern Ukraine, a Russian general said on Friday, a statement Ukraine said gave the lie to Russia’s previous assertions that it had no territorial ambitions.

Rustam Minnekayev, deputy commander of Russia’s central military district, was quoted by Russian state news agencies as saying full control over southern Ukraine would give it access to a breakaway, Russian-occupied part of Moldova in the west.

Shmyhal and top Ukrainian finance officials are visiting Washington during the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank and have held meetings to discuss financial support for Ukraine.

As war continues to decimate parts of Ukraine, Shmyhal said that continued international support, “will let us and will help us to save macroeconomic stability of our country, to execute our humanitarian and social responsibilities.”

Moscow says it is conducting a “special military operation” to demilitarize Ukraine and liberate its population from people it calls dangerous nationalists.

Ukraine and its Western allies call Russia’s invasion an unjustified war of aggression.

 

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