– “Ukraine knows that it can count on Britain as its friend in the European Union. We are, and will remain, enthusiastic advocates of Ukraine’s closer integration with the rest of Europe”; and

– “It is the responsibility of true friends to speak honestly when they see something which concerns them”. The answer is the Foreign Office Minister for Europe, David Lidington, in an important speech delivered in London on 13 July: “Britain and Ukraine – Partners for Reform”. The full text is here.

Check it out: a good read with some important messages on the importance of Ukraine; the business climate; the risks to Ukraine’s reputation as the standard-bearer for democracy; and how the UK sees the way forward, including its continued support for Ukraine’s European integration.

Leigh Turner has been the British Ambassador to Ukraine since June 2008. You can read all his blog entries at blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller/turnerenglish (in English) or blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller/turner/ (Ukrainian)