Small in terms of Ukraine’s needs and in relation to the $1 billion loan guarantee already signed with Washington, the package, along with Biden’s visit, was a clear show of support for the new authorities following the overthrow of the Kremlin-backed president and continuing confrontation with Russia.
‘The United States is committed to ensuring that Ukrainians alone are able to determine their country’s future without intimidation or coercion from outside forces,’ it said.
Saying Washington was ready to provide further assistance after a presidential election on May 25, it said $11.4 million of the package would support the integrity of that vote.
Biden told Ukrainian members of parliament in Kiev, including presidential candidates, that the United States was ready to help Ukraine’s economy but warned that they must fight the ‘cancer’ of endemic corruption.
He said the presidential election on May 25 would be the most important in the country’s history and Washington was ready to help in holding it. Saying Ukraine faced humiliating threats and daunting problems, Biden said the United States was ready to assist its leaders in seizing a chance to create national unity.
He said there was no reason Ukraine could not achieve energy security, but it would take time. He asked the legislators to imagine the stronger position Kiev would be in now if it was not dependent on Russia for gas supplies.
Biden’s trip comes days after the U.S., Russia, Ukraine and Europe signed an agreement in Geneva calling for Moscow to use its influence to get pro-Russian forces to leave the numerous government buildings they now occupy in cites throughout eastern Ukraine. The U.S. assert Monday that publicly available photographs from Twitter and other media show that some of the troops in eastern Ukraine are Russian special forces, and the U.S. said the photos support its case that Moscow is using its military to stir unrest in Ukraine.
There was no way to immediately verify the photographs, which were either taken from the Internet or given to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe last week by Ukraine diplomats.
In Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected charges that Moscow was behind the troubles in eastern Ukraine and failing to live up to the Geneva agreement. ‘Before putting forth ultimatums to us, demanding fulfillment of something within two-three days or otherwise be threatened with sanctions, we would urgently call on our American partners to fully recognize responsibility for those whom they brought to power and whom they are trying to shield, closing their eyes to the outrages created by this regime and by the fighters on whom this regime leans,’ Lavrov told a news conference. Words and actions by Ukrainian leaders are ‘absolutely unacceptable,’ he declared.
The U.S. has warned that it will quickly order new economic sanctions on Russian officials and entities if Moscow doesn’t follow through on the provisions in last week’s accord. Gregory Pyatt, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said it was still too early to tell whether the deal would succeed, but he added, ‘The ball is really in Moscow’s court in terms of whether they’re going to take this diplomatic off-ramp. There needs to be concrete results,’ Pyatt told reporters in Kiev.
‘The United States is committed to ensuring that Ukrainians alone are able to determine their country’s future without intimidation or coercion from outside forces,’ it said.
Saying Washington was ready to provide further assistance after a presidential election on May 25, it said $11.4 million of the package would support the integrity of that vote.
Biden told Ukrainian members of parliament in Kiev, including presidential candidates, that the United States was ready to help Ukraine’s economy but warned that they must fight the ‘cancer’ of endemic corruption.
He said the presidential election on May 25 would be the most important in the country’s history and Washington was ready to help in holding it. Saying Ukraine faced humiliating threats and daunting problems, Biden said the United States was ready to assist its leaders in seizing a chance to create national unity.
He said there was no reason Ukraine could not achieve energy security, but it would take time. He asked the legislators to imagine the stronger position Kiev would be in now if it was not dependent on Russia for gas supplies.
Biden’s trip comes days after the U.S., Russia, Ukraine and Europe signed an agreement in Geneva calling for Moscow to use its influence to get pro-Russian forces to leave the numerous government buildings they now occupy in cites throughout eastern Ukraine. The U.S. assert Monday that publicly available photographs from Twitter and other media show that some of the troops in eastern Ukraine are Russian special forces, and the U.S. said the photos support its case that Moscow is using its military to stir unrest in Ukraine.
There was no way to immediately verify the photographs, which were either taken from the Internet or given to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe last week by Ukraine diplomats.
In Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected charges that Moscow was behind the troubles in eastern Ukraine and failing to live up to the Geneva agreement. ‘Before putting forth ultimatums to us, demanding fulfillment of something within two-three days or otherwise be threatened with sanctions, we would urgently call on our American partners to fully recognize responsibility for those whom they brought to power and whom they are trying to shield, closing their eyes to the outrages created by this regime and by the fighters on whom this regime leans,’ Lavrov told a news conference. Words and actions by Ukrainian leaders are ‘absolutely unacceptable,’ he declared.
The U.S. has warned that it will quickly order new economic sanctions on Russian officials and entities if Moscow doesn’t follow through on the provisions in last week’s accord. Gregory Pyatt, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said it was still too early to tell whether the deal would succeed, but he added, ‘The ball is really in Moscow’s court in terms of whether they’re going to take this diplomatic off-ramp. There needs to be concrete results,’ Pyatt told reporters in Kiev.