Ukraine's First Deputy Prosecutor General Renat Kuzmin will not be able to attend the National Prayer Breakfast with the participation of US President Barack Obama because the US Embassy in Ukraine is delaying the issuing of a visa to him.
“Unfortunately, I cannot accept your kind invitation, as the US Embassy here in Kyiv, continues to delay the issuing of a visa so that I don’t have enough time even to organize a trip to attend this important event. This is how it is, despite the fact that my request for a visa was submitted in line with the established procedures and within the time limits for processing such requests,” reads a letter, which Kuzmin sent to the U.S. Congress, and which was published on the Web site of the Prosecutor General’s Office on Monday.
In his letter to congress, the first deputy prosecutor general concluded that “such behavior of the U.S. Department of State shows a clear lack of respect for Ukraine in general and for me as one of its citizens.”
“I believe that such behavior also shows a lack of respect for the US Congress, which has done me the honor of inviting me to participate in this global spiritual event,” Kuzmin said.
He expressed regret at not being able to participate in the National Prayer Breakfast.
As reported, Kuzmin, in a letter to US President Barack Obama, said that on October 19, 2012, US Ambassador to Ukraine John Tefft informed him about the cancelation of his five-year US visa, without explaining the reasons for such a decision.
On December 10, the US ambassador confirmed that Renat Kuzmin’s US visa was canceled. He added that Kuzmin knows the reason for the cancellation of his visa.
Asked whether such steps by the US side are related to the recent resolution of the US Congress, he said: “This cancelation of the visa does not concern the decisions of congress. These things are not related.”
