From RFE/RL's news desk:
Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk July 13 dismissed legislation in Ukraine's parliament that would water down economic reforms demanded by the West in exchange for loans, saying it is sponsored by "lunatics."
In an interview with the Associated Press, Yatsenyuk predicted that none of several controversial bills to roll back reforms mandated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would reach the floor of the parliament.
If they do, he said, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will veto them.
"In every parliament, you have populists. Sometimes they look like lunatics," Yatsenyuk said. "This government and this president are determined and committed to our reform agenda."
U.S. President Barack Obama urged Yatsenyuk in a White House meeting to follow through with the reforms and commitments to the IMF, which has extended $40 billion in loans to Ukraine but held back a recent installment because of the stall on reforms.
The IMF has warned that rolling back the reforms would jeopardize all future loans.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said the U.S. government would keep supporting Ukraine as long as it keeps moving in the right direction.
"The pressure is on the parliament to keep moving forward and to not slip backward," she said. "These are hard choices. The prime minister feels the pressure. But as long as they're moving forward, they're not alone."
Based on reporting by AP and AFP
We are now closing the live blog for today. Until we resume again tomorrow morning, you can keep up with all our ongoing Ukraine coverage here.
Good morning. We'll start the live blog rolling today with this update from our news desk:
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced a free trade agreement with Kyiv during Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's visit to the French province of Quebec.
With more than a million inhabitants claiming roots in Ukraine, Canada has made multiple supportive moves toward Kyiv since the 2014 revolution and Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.
Signed on July 14, the agreement, which must be ratified by both nations' parliaments, is expected to increase Canadian growth by $22.9 million and Ukrainian growth by $18.6 million, the Canadian government estimated.
Harper called the agreement a "milestone in the important relationship between our two countries."
Yatsenyuk called Canada a "flagship in supporting Ukraine in our quest and fight against the Russian-led terrorists."
Canada will eliminate tariffs on 99 percent of imports from Ukraine and increase exports to Ukraine by $41.2 million.
Meanwhile, financially troubled Ukraine will reduce tariffs on 86 percent of Canadian imports and increase exports to Canada by $23.7 million, mainly in the textile and metalworking industries.
(AFP, dpa)