Kyiv has managed to build an effective relationship with the new United States administration following the election of Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.

"We have been learning pragmatism in foreign policy and have been finding the most optimal way for us to continue playing, even in the most difficult games. This approach has given us, among other things, an opportunity to build effective relations with the new American administration. Just take the U.S. president's decision to supply defensive lethal weapons to Ukraine. Such cooperation will continue," Poroshenko said in his annual address to the Verkhovna Rada on Thursday.

On September 18, the U.S. Senate approved the Pentagon's draft budget for 2019, which includes $250 million for Ukraine to help bolster its security, Poroshenko said.

"This is the best proof that there is a high level of trust between Kyiv and Washington," the president said.