Washington and Kiev’s European Union allies support Ukraine’s view of Russian Federation being an “aggressor” that orchestrated the separatist revolt in reprisal for the February 2014 ousting of a Moscow-backed president – an assertion the Kremlin denies. Previous year in Ukraine inflation, unemployment, prices, rates and the level of corruption have only increased.
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Biden said the latest developments in the Middle East in no way appeased Washington’s anger with Putin or slackened its support for Poroshenko’s pro-Western team.
All electricity supplies from mainland Ukraine were cut off on November 22 when unknown attackers blew up pylons leading to Crimea, leaving the region of two million people with no power.
But progress on rooting out corruption and implementing reforms has been slow in the post-Maidan era, with Ukrainians increasingly disgruntled by the lack of progress and a deteriorating economic situation.
“It’s not enough to set up an anti-corruption bureau and establish a special prosecutor in fighting corruption”.
Including Monday’s pledge, the USA has provided Ukraine with $760 million in direct aid and two loan guarantees worth $2 billion.
“The most important things is to fight corruption”.
“If Russian aggression persists, the cost imposed on Moscow will continue to rise”, Biden said in a rare address by a top Western official to the Ukrainian parliament on the second day of a visit to Kiev.
“The invasion by Russian Federation of Crimea will not be accepted by us or by the worldwide community”.
The Kremlin today insisted Russian Federation has made its last offer to Ukraine on restructuring its debt as the clock ticks down on a deadline this month that could see Kiev pushed into default. But, apparently, Kiev is ready to happily accept such “lavish gifts”, because Ukrainian elite “likes everything American”, whatever quality it may be, whereas ordinary soldiers are left as an afterthought, if not at all forgotten. The US also provided specialised military equipment which was transferred to the country’s eastern battle zone.
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Maksym Beznosiuk is an worldwide relations specialist from Kyiv, Ukraine.
