MADRID, October 5. /TASS/. A senior Ukrainian official admitted in an interview with El Pais that the country’s dialogue with the European Union on financial assistance or sanctions has always been difficult.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishina said that Kiev has been engaged in a permanent dialogue with the EU on various issues, including military support, sanctions or a reform agenda. She assured the Spanish daily that Kiev’s commitment will not be diminished or affected by any bilateral issue that may arise. Kiev does everything it can to avoid tensions here, therefore it has taken "a step toward depoliticizing the grain issue," she said. "This dialogue is always difficult when it comes to decisions about financial support or sanctions," she admitted.

However, Kiev has fulfilled all necessary reforms regarding political criteria, "so if there is a positive evaluation from the European Commission, accession talks should start as soon as possible," Stefanishina maintained. "As regards the rule of law, we have completed the most important step, ensuring that an adequate level of trust is built in the institutions that were selected, together with Ukraine's allies, to carry the enormous credit of integrity," she said with confidence.

In the first quarter of 2023, Stefanishina said, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office "opened more than 2,400 criminal cases into corruption," <…> resulting in about 2,000 convictions." That's 51.8% more than in the same period last year. In addition, assets worth about $19 mln have been seized," the senior Ukrainian official added.

According to the Ukrainian deputy prime minister, Kiev will do whatever it takes to retain US support.