Poroshenko to Seek Greater US Support During his North America Tour

Amid a fragile ceasefire with pro-Russian separatists, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko headed to North America Tuesday and is expected to ask for elusive military and economic support from the United States during talks Thursday with U.S. President Barack Obama, Voice of America reports.

Poroshenko has also been facing increasingly skeptical questions about the slow pace of change in the country as well as abroad.

The Ukrainian forces lack adequate manpower and weaponry, while the Russian-backed fighters are heavily-armed who do not seem to respect the Sept. 5 ceasefire deal and are clearly not showing any sign of ending the violence. President Obama had vowed full U.S. support to Ukraine all through conflict, but he has remained adamant on his take that a lasting truce cannot be reached upon by force.
 "I think it is very important to recognize that a military solution to this problem is not going to be forthcoming," said Obama.

Poroshenko's first stop is Canada, where he will be holding talks with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other senior officials in Ottawa.

Hours before Poroshenko's visit, Canada announced fresh sanctions against Russia for its continued "aggression" in eastern Ukraine, RFERL reports.

The sanctions mentioned are targeted at four senior Russian generals, a bank, and around five arms makers.

On Sept. 18, Poroshenko will be travelling to Washington to hold talks at the White House with President Obama. He will be addressing a joint session of Congress on Sept. 19. These steps can at the least earn him moral support, if nothing else.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Parliament failed to pass what the President had endorsed as the cornerstone of his anti-corruption campaign - laws that are meant to set up an anti-corruption bureau, The New York Times reports.