Protest rallies in front of the building of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) confirm the rightfulness of the policy of the regulator and are Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip T. Reeker said at a meeting of representatives of the U.S. Department of State with the board of the central bank.

According to a posting of the National Bank in the Facebook social network on December 6, the meeting was attended by NBU Governor Yakiv Smolii, his First Deputy Kateryna Rozhkova and Deputy Dmytro Sologub, as well as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs George P. Kent, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires a.i. in Ukraine William Taylor and Reeker.

During the meeting, Smolii said that the goals of the protest rallies under the walls of the regulator are to discredit the NBU and its reforms, an obstacle to cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and psychological pressure on members of the central bank's board.

"Despite this, the National Bank continues doing its work, and cooperation with the IMF remains a top priority. After all, this will ensure the continuation of reforms in the country and will become a positive signal for foreign investors," the central bank said.

According to a posting on the website of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, during his official visit to Ukraine on December 3-4, Reeker held productive discussions with Ukrainian government officials, National Bank of Ukraine officials, and representatives of civil society.

"In my meetings I saw firsthand Ukraine's genuine, vibrant democracy in action. The efforts Ukraine is making on reforms – in the defense, economic, and judicial sectors, and beyond – set a strong example for other countries. Much work remains – including the challenge of overcoming Ukraine's oligarchic legacy – but the steps Ukraine is taking are laying the groundwork for stronger economic ties with the United States and other Western partners," he said.

As reported, the protest rally Stop corruption in the NBU under the walls of the regulator began on December 13. And early December, protesters also arrived at the houses of Smolii and Rozhkova.