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

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko left the United States on Thursday buoyed by what she called positive talks with top U.S. 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.