With several efficient appointments in key government positions it will be possible to break Ukraine's corruption system without a new revolution, Ukraine's Economic Development and Trade Minister Aivaras Abromavicius said after announcing on Wednesday his decision to resign over the impossibility of conducting reforms under current circumstances.

"There is no need for revolutions. A few people who really want to break everything and change everything, to appoint [them] to very responsible positions," the minister told Interfax.

So far it has proved impossible to end lawlessness not only in state companies but in the courts and prosecution offices as well, he said.

"Look at the State Fiscal Service. The simplest requirement is: if you export, you pay the VAT on time and in full, no kickbacks. But it still continues," the minister said.

The problem lies not only in parliamentarian Ihor Kononenko who is just one of the actors in the current system, he said. The minister said that when he joined the government he was expecting problems with "red directors" and former Party of Regions members, but a big surprise was that some of the new politicians "started getting into state companies."

Abromavicius said he hopes his tough announcement of resignation will serve as a cold shower for the country's leaders so that Ukraine can continue moving further towards becoming a democracy.

In his view, nothing has changed fundamentally. "We are either two steps away from breakthrough or two steps away from failure. Some of the future government appointments will have a very, very strong effect on where we are moving further to," said Abromavicius, calling for the technocratic ministers to remain in government.

Commenting on his relations with Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk, the minister described them as "pure business." "I don't have any sufficient access to him," he said.

Abromavicius said he had discussed with Yatseniuk replacing the top management at Electrotyazhmash and United Mining and Chemical Company "where everything is supplied through middleman firms." He said that late last December he asked the government to sack United Mining and Chemical Company chief Ruslan Zhurylo.