During his visit to Washington, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin met with National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein, and Coordinator for Sanctions Policy Daniel Fried.
The officials discussed the progress of the implementation of the Minsk agreements. It was emphasized that Russia-backed rebels must comply with the provisions regarding the withdrawal of arms, ceasefire, as well as ensure full access of the OSCE observers as prerequisites for holding the local elections in Donbas, which must fully comply with Ukrainian laws, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s press service reported.
“The parties agreed that the sanctions regime must remain in place and must be strengthened in case of violations of the Minsk agreements and continued Russian aggression, and that the United States will support our country in coordinating the sanctions policy with the European Union until the full restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including the return of Crimea,” the statement reads.
Klimkin and the United States’ officials exchanged thoughts on the current issues on the bilateral agenda, including the United States’ support for Ukraine’s implementation of comprehensive reforms, cooperation in financial and energy fields, including the energy efficiency and energy diversification. The parties also discussed the cooperation between Ukraine and the United States on the international arena, in international organizations, as well as the issues of global security.
