Ukraine’s Presidential Administration is attempting to strengthen relationship with Trump
Deputy Head of Presidential Administration Kostiantyn Yelisieiev stated that Ukraine is actively working on improving relations with the newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump. He noted in an interview with RBC-Ukraine that Poroshenko was one of the first people Trump called.
Yelisieiev rejected resentments against the Presidential Administration and Ukrainian Foreign Ministry that were formed because during the election campaigning in the U.S.A., Ukraine focused solely on Democrats. He emphasized that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko maintained neutrality in this issue.
"Petro Poroshenko… was steadily loyal and neutral regarding candidates in the U.S. Presidential Elections. The Head of our country was one the first people Donald Trump decided to call. This call shows that our Ambassador in Washington and our Foreign Minister maintained good contacts with all political forces within the USA,” Yelisieiev said.
While commenting on potential appointments in the new U.S. Presidential administration, Yelisieiev noted that there were particular appointments that he preferred to discuss. "I’d like to speak about some appointed people in particular. Ukraine is working on improving contacts with members of the Trump’s future team, with members of the Congress and analysts who prepared documents for Trump’s staff. We are working intensively and keeping pace.”
Yelisieiev emphasized that the phone conversation between Poroshenko and Trump was "warm and sincere.”
“I emphasize that a warm and sincere first conversation with Donald Trump took place that lasted about 15 minutes. Now we are working on building contacts, ‘building bridges.’ By the way, during the telephone conversation they also talked about a possible visit by Poroshenko to the USA at the beginning of next year,” he added.
The Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration stressed that the conversation really took place, bringing to mind the incident when the Ukrainian President spoke with a prank caller who posed as the President of Kyrgyz.
In response to a question regarding the incident, Yelisieiev noted that the approval of the conversation between Poroshenko and Trump is the list on Trump’s website. The site “published the list of all leaders with which he had telephone conversations. This list includes the President of Ukraine.”
Yelisieiev also stated that the Poroshenko’s administration hopes that Trump will continue the policy of his predecessor Barack Obama in the issue of extending sanctions against Russia. "We hope that the new U.S. administration will demonstrate succession in this regard.” He also added that the Budapest Memorandum would remain on the agenda of relations between Ukraine and the USA.