Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has assured U.S. leaders that he is determined to quickly ensure the appointment of a new, independent, and professional, prosecutor general, says U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt.
Taking questions from participants in an annual conference on democratic governance, organized by the International Republican Institute in Kyiv, on Friday, Pyatt said Vice President Joseph Biden was glad to hear President Poroshenko’s assurances that he was determined to quickly find a new candidate for prosecutor general, who would enjoy confidence, would be a professional and would be independent.
The U.S. expects the period of political uncertainty and a political crisis in Ukraine to end, a consensus to be reached concerning a candidate for a new prime minister, and a government composition, the process of reforms to be resumed, and the obligations to the International Monetary Fund to be fulfilled, he said.
The U.S. would refrain from providing Ukraine with guarantees and financing until the crisis is settled, and reforms resumed, Pyatt said.
Pyatt said he believes the most important message for President Poroshenko, and all Ukrainian people, would be that the U.S. is interested in Ukraine’s success, and is willing to continue supporting reforms in the country. He noted, however, that this requires consolidation between all political leaders, including the president, the prime minister, and the Verkhovna Rada chairman.
It was reported earlier, that the Verkhovna Rada had given its consent to the president to dismiss Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin by 289 votes.
