Earlier this week, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal told Reuters that Kiev must take part in any talks between Russia and the United States on eastern Ukraine.
"Because we are talking about the future of our country, we don't want to be excluded from the negotiations. We don't want to be a card (to be played). We want to be an actor," Zerkal said.
According to Reuters, "Ukraine is worried that US President Donald Trump will cut Kiev out of any peace negotiations as he attempts to improve ties with Moscow."
All these concerns are well justified because there are at least three major threats related to Ukrainian-American relations that Kiev has yet to resolve, Oleg Onopko told Sputnik.
"The first threat is a strategic one, and is related to what will happen when Trump starts to review US foreign policy; [Ukraine fears he] will not adhere to the policy of [asserting that America is] the only superpower, which rules the world. The second threat pertains to Trump's personal dislike of Poroshenko and his team. The third threat emanates from the loyalty of Kiev's elites to the US Democratic Party and Barack Obama," he said.
"This loyalty is now working against the Kiev authorities. And if Kiev does not resolve the last two threats, there will be a big problem. In this regard, Kiev's fears are quite justified."
Earlier this month, the US news website RealClearDefense reported that Donald Trump plans to review how Ukraine's government spent the funds it received from the US under Barack Obama.
"Those funds from US foundations, allocated for Ukraine's defense, national security and various humanitarian projects, have of course been stolen.Any more or less focused audit of these distribution processes will testify that Ukrainian officials were actually engaged in the embezzlement of funds earmarked by America," he concluded.
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