KIEV, August 27. /ITAR-TASS/. Talks between Ukraine and Russia in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, on Tuesday were fruitless, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told a government meeting on Wednesday.
No results had been expected from the meeting, but the event had to take place, he added.
Ukraine currently faces three challenges — war, exchange rate and energy, the premier said, adding that the first could be settled only by restoring control over the border with Russia.
Ukraine's cooperation with NATO
Yatsenyuk said the government would debate a plan for developing cooperation with NATO. “The Ukrainian president will attend the NATO summit in Wales on September 4-5,” the prime minister said.
“NATO is our partner. We expect the Western countries and NATO to provide practical assistance. We also expect decisions to be made at the NATO summit,” he said.
Deterioration of Ukrainian currency
Ukraine's currency breached the psychological barrier in exchange rate trading on Wednesday, with the rate of 14 hryvnia to the US dollar, Ukrainian media reported, as Yatsenyuk warned ministers that the national economy could not withstand more than 12 hryvnia for $1.
The authorities in Kiev believed additional financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would help stabilize the national currency, Yatsenyuk told a government meeting.
"We hope the board of directors of the IMF will take a positive decision on a new tranche allowing us to increase reserves that will have a positive effect on the currency market," he said.
"We are doing everything to stabilize the rate, the prime minister said. "I think the national bank will have enough professionalism. We need quick and effective decisions for the country's economy," he said, adding that the sharp fall of the national currency reflected events in the east of the country. "First of all, it is connected with the war," he said.