USA along with its partners – the EU and the “Big seven” – given to understand that sanctions against Russia should continue until Russia complied with its obligations under the Minsk agreements, and until the return of Crimea to Ukraine. This was stated by Vice-President Joe Biden at a joint press conference with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in Kiev.
“Despite the fact that I know how it is difficult to keep faith in the Minsk process, when Russia refuses to fulfill its obligations regarding security, we know that this process is the only viable basis for resolving the conflict in the Donbass, the restoration of the government of Ukraine in the East and the return of the Ukrainian control over the international border. For Ukraine this process is the only hope to move forward as a United state,” he said.
While Biden stressed that the political part of Minsk agreements can not be implemented until, until you stop the violence by Russia. According to him, only after the Russian Federation and its agents in the East will fulfill its obligations regarding the cessation of hostilities and give Donbass the ability to establish peace and security can be expected from Ukraine’s full implementation of their political commitments.
“For anybody not a secret that Russia doesn’t want you to succeed. This concerns not only Ukraine – this is for the future to which we aspire: that is whole, free and peaceful Europe. This is what is in our national interests, both in the US and Europe. Your determination, your liberation from coercion, your success of a free democracy is very important for the realization of this goal”, – said the Vice-President of the United States.
As reported, Joe Biden tonight arrived in Ukraine on an official visit. First Vice-President met with the Prime Minister Groisman, and later with President Poroshenko.
