Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has called for preserving the West's sanctions against Russia.

"The lifting of the sanctions should be a reward for abandoning aggressive plans," Groysman said on Tuesday at a meeting with Rudolph Giuliani, an informal cybersecurity adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump and former mayor of New York City.

Ukraine is interested in deeper political and economic cooperation with the United States, Groysman said.

"We are going through quite difficult times of our state's establishment, and the United States of America is playing a historic role in our country's modern history. We are interested in strengthening our political and economic cooperation. We have immense opportunities and hope that these relations will bring about a good result," the Ukrainian government press service quoted Groysman as saying.

Groysman informed Giuliani about the Ukrainian government's steps aimed at stabilizing Ukraine's economic situation and plans of reforms in the healthcare, pension, and privatization sectors.

"This is what will be changing the country and making it more stable in the midterm. Our goal is to bolster economic growth, make the pension system more just, change the healthcare system, carry out education reform, overhaul the country, repel the Russian troops, ensure a vibrant judicial system, and adopt all modern anticorruption systems," Groysman said.

Giuliani in turn expressed support for Ukraine on the part of the U.S. leadership in its fight for freedom and independence.