Western sanctions against Russia are effective in the medium and long term, but Ukraine now needs a quick solution because of the situation in the east of the country, reports GHN based on Ukrinform.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said this at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
"Sanctions are an effective leverage, but a mid-term and long-term one. We need to get a short-term and quick solution. And the message I want to deliver is that Russia first has to pull back its forces, to pull back its artillery. We need to restore the control over the Ukrainian-Russian border. We need to get rid of Russian agents on Ukrainian territory. And only afterwards we can start a real peace process," Yatseniuk said.
He thanked the United States for all the decisions taken in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, including the introduction of sanctions, describing the United States as a "flagship" in this process.
Speaking about the cancellation of sanctions by the West, Yatseniuk said that it was possible when Russia leaves Crimea.