“Ukraine has joined the list of Russia’s major trading partners, and that is absolutely normal in my view. This is Ukraine’s rightful place.”

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev presented the new Russian government to the Ukrainian prime minister and expressed his hope that it “will do everything it can to develop neighbourly and strategic relations with Ukraine.”

“We are focused on the comprehensive development of strategic cooperation with Ukraine as our closest neighbour and partner. For a variety of reasons, we simply have no grounds for reviewing our strategic priorities,” the prime minister said during the meeting.

"Cases in which social facilities are at risk of closure as a result of property transfers, are completely unacceptable for us."

“The future budget must reflect our medium- and long-term plans. It must be a modernisation budget. And all social commitments – spending on education, healthcare, and support for maternity, families and childhood – must be implemented unfailingly.”