Kiev seeks US, NATO assistance for Ukraine crisis

 Kiev is in talks with the US and NATO over a possible military technical assistance, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said Friday.

"As for military assistance, we hold bilateral and multilateral consultations on technical support," Yatsenyuk said during a media briefing at the International Boryspil Airport after his visit to Washington, Xinhua reported.

Yatsenyuk said that the Ukrainian defence ministry holds negotiations with the US Department of Defence within the framework of cooperation between the two countries and Kiev's collaboration with NATO.

The White House has offered Kiev $1 billion in loan guarantees that would need to be backed by Congress after the ouster of former president Viktor Yanukovych.

In addition, the US government also pledged to provide technical expertise to help the National Bank of Ukraine and the ministry of finance address their most pressing challenges, dispatch technical advisors to help manage immediate market pressures, and provide expertise to help implement critical energy sector reforms.

On the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia over the crisis in the autonomous republic of Crimea, Yatsenyuk stressed that his country is seeking "solely peaceful resolution" of the row.

Kiev and Moscow in the recent weeks have been embroiled in a standoff on the future of Crimea, which is to hold a referendum Sunday on whether to join Russia or remain part of Ukraine.