WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Ukrainian people, Toner added, are demanding stronger attempts by the government to bring corruption under control.
"We have certainly been encouraging the Ukrainian government to combat… pervasive corruption,” Toner stated.
Toner responded to questions about remarks made earlier on Wednesday by US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland, who reportedly said it was time for Kiev to begin "locking up people" who have been stealing from the Ukrainian people for too long.
On Monday, the State Department announced that Nuland planned to meet in Kiev with senior Ukrainian government officials, political party leaders, Rada members, and civil society representatives to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, including reform priorities and Minsk implementation.
Nuland’s visit comes as Ukraine is undertaking a range of reforms, including anti-corruption measures, power decentralization and the reorganization of the national energy sector, in order to obtain the latest bailout package from the International Monetary Fund.
