KIEV, Nov. 19 – The government has hired two investment banks, Credit Suisse and Blackstone Group, as advisors on Ukraine’s escalating financial crisis, First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov said Wednesday.

“The hiring of these companies was necessary due to the ongoing financial crisis,” Turchynov told reporters.

The move comes 10 days after Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko had a secret meeting with George Soros, the U.S.-based financier and currency speculator, also apparently seeking advice on how to deal with the crisis.