Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in his interview with the Wall Street Journal expressed confidence in the continuation of the efficient cooperation between Ukraine and U.S., the press service of the Ukrainian president has said.

The president noted that over the past years, U.S. has demonstrated support of Ukraine. He quoted Winston Churchill that there are no eternal friends or eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Poroshenko noted that the interests and values of the U.S. had been already defined for a while: "The values of the U.S. haven’t emerged one, two or ten years ago. They have been formed by the Founding Fathers. These values are freedom, democracy. Ukraine has the same values."

The president expressed confidence in fruitful and efficient cooperation between Ukraine and the U.S. for the sake of freedom and democracy, as well as compliance with one’s obligations to the partners, as under the Budapest Memorandum, several countries, including U.S., have guaranteed security of Ukraine.

Poroshenko has once again noted that Ukraine required Russia to withdraw troops and military equipment from the Ukrainian territory, as well as to de-occupy Crimea. The president reminded that since the beginning of war in Donbas, over 10,000 servicemen and civilians from Ukraine had been killed because of the Russian aggression.

"We do not need foreign soldiers or armies for the protection of the Ukrainian territory. We are doing it ourselves. But the international support, including sanctions, is an instrument to motivate Russia to sit down at the negotiating table and create a stimulus for the withdrawal of troops." The president reminded that Ukraine had submitted a dispute against Russia to the UN International Court of Justice a few days ago. He said that the Ukrainian party used every possible political and diplomatic method for self-protection.