Ambassador also stressed on the vital importance of creation of security preconditions for holding local elections in certain districts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions on the basis of the Ukrainian legislation and OSCE/ODIHR rules and regulations.

Ambassador welcomed the recent G7 leaders decision to continue sanctions against Russia until the Minsk agreement is fully implemented and said that the sanctions must be strengthened due to systematic prosecution and human rights violations of the Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians in the occupied Crimea.

Ambassador expressed sincere gratitude to the Government of the United Kingdom for consistently pressing Russia to release Nadiya Savchenko. 

“With the support of our Western allies we will keep working to free Ukrainians illegally detained by Russia and Russia-backed terrorists”.

Ambassador also elaborated on the reform’s path of the newly-established Ukrainian Government aimed at ensuring macro-economic stability, tackling corruption, creating favourable business-environment, reforming judicial sector. “Ukraine is grateful to the United Kingdom for all its support and technical assistance”, she said.

The lecture was followed by vibrant Q&A session.