Ukraine PM says she feels more confident of US support after visit to Washington

InternationalMust ReadUkraine PM says she feels more confident of US support after visit to WashingtonBy Reuters -Apr 17, 2026Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko left the United States on Thursday buoyed by what she called positive talks with top US officials, including Treasury ​Secretary Scott Bessent, saying she found him to be supportive of her war-torn country. Svyrydenko told Reuters that she used the meeting with ‌Bessent to hammer home Ukraine’s position that sanctions imposed against Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago should not be weakened, waived or postponed. Washington temporarily lifted some sanctions on Russian oil to help cope with supply shortages caused by the Iran war, but they are now back in effect. “I think Secretary Bessent stands with Ukraine and stands for Ukraine,” ​Svyrydenko said in her only media interview during her visit to the United States for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and ​the World Bank. “It was very friendly discussion, and he’s very supportive,” she said. “I think that all our counterparts here in ⁠the United States … understand it perfectly well: that to prevent the circumvention of the sanctions, and also to strengthen the sanctions is an extremely important measure ​that should be taken to make Russia weaker.” US and Ukrainian officials met last month in Florida for talks on ending the war with Russia, but hopes have dimmed for ​an early agreement. Ukraine has insisted that it needs security guarantees in place before agreeing to any peace deal. “I dream that this war will end, but it will end … with the proper security guarantees, the proper prosperity plan, with a proper plan for the reconstruction and the recovery,” Svyrydenko said. “That would give the opportunity for Ukrainians to live the life that they ​deserve because they have been fighting so hard.” WORK ON JOINT INVESTMENT FUND DEEPENED TIES Svyrydenko said ties between Ukraine and the U.S. had dee...