After more than two hours in talks with President Viktor Yanukovych, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said there is still a way to resolve the escalating political crisis in Ukraine.
Addressing
journalists outside the presidential headquarters following the meeting, Nuland
said, “I hope the people of Ukraine know that the U.S. stands with you in your
search for justice, for human dignity and security for economic health, and the
European future that you have chosen and deserve.”
She
continued: “I just spent more than two hours with President Yanukovych, it was
a tough conversation but a realistic one. I made it absolutely clear to him
that what happened last night (during an attempted police breakup of
Independence Square), what was happening in security terms was absolutely impermissible
in democratic states.”
She
added that there is “still a way out for Ukraine to save its European future
and that we want the president to lead.”
To do
this Nuland urged Yanukovych to resume talks with the European Union – on Nov.
21 the government rejected an association agreement with the EU – and with the
International Monetary Fund.
Ukraine crucially needs financial assistance to meet some $15 billion of external debt payment.
She
said these steps should “bring justice and human dignity to Ukraine.”
“I have
no doubt that after our meeting, President Yanukovych knows what he needs to
do,” concluded Nuland.
Kyiv Post staff writer Oksana Grytsenko can
be reached at [email protected].
