Yatseniuk asks western partners to help Ukraine seal uncontrolled sections of border with Russia

Ukraine is asking its western partners to help it close the uncontrolled sections of the state border with Russia in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.

"The government of Ukraine commends the efforts of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande during the Minsk talks, to push Russia towards the right decisions. We ask them to support us in sealing the border," the Ukrainian government's press service quoted Yatseniuk as saying in an interview with the BBC during his working visit to Brussels on Thursday.

In his words, Ukraine is defending not only itself but peace for all of Europe.

"We are not just defending Ukraine; we are defending the EU, peace and stability for all of Europe. So, help us to protect our country and your peace," Yatseniuk said.

Yatseniuk said he was not very optimistic about the chances of restoring control over the Ukrainian-Russian border any time soon.

According to him, the lack of control over the border means unlimited access for Russian troops and tanks that are able to cross the Ukrainian-Russian border and increase their military presence in eastern Ukraine easily.

"The chances of de-escalating the situation in this case are extremely low," Yatseniuk said.

He also said that the government of Ukraine appreciated British support, in particular, its decision to send military instructors to train Ukrainian servicemen.

Yatseniuk said that that this decision was the first step and that Kyiv expected to see more steps made by other EU member states and the U.S.