Editor's Note: The following is a statement released Jan. 31 by U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey R. Pyatt on Ukraine's ongoing crisis.
America’s goal is to see Ukraine put back on the road to political and economic health with a strong focus over the long-term on building institutional ties to Europe. It’s very important that the efforts on both sides to build communications and to foster reconciliation between the political opposition, the major opposition leaders and the government continue and we will do everything we can from outside to support that process, encouraging political dialogue and discouraging violence and extremism. I would note in particular my government’s ongoing concern as I have said publicly on several occasions about the recent uptick in attacks on journalists, in apparently politically motivated disappearances and attacks on civil society and human rights groups. It’s incredibly important that these crimes not be forgotten and that the government use all of the investigative tools at its disposal to discover what happened and to hold those accountable who are responsible for these terrible crimes.
