The United States has again expressed support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and urged Russia to stop bloodshed in Donbas, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said.
“The United States and France remain deeply committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty, to its territorial integrity. And the parliamentary elections in Ukraine last month were a very bold and very clear statement about the choice for change that the people of Ukraine have made. They want an inclusive, accountable government, and they made it clear that they also want a future that was connected to Europe. They want a European future, as well as respect for their sovereignty and their right of choice,” the press service the US Department of State quoted Kerry as saying.
He also spoke about his telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko: “We are concerned, obviously, about the lack of follow-through on some aspects of the Minsk agreement. And I particularly urged President Poroshenko to take the next step by naming a broadly inclusive governing coalition and articulating a concrete reform agenda.”
“Unlawful voting in eastern Ukraine over the weekend is a blatant violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and the Minsk agreement. And President [Barack] Obama has been clear, as have I during my conversations with Foreign Minister Lavrov, that neither the United States nor the international community will recognize the results. The only legitimate local elections in Donetsk and Luhansk will be those that conform with Ukrainian law and with the Minsk agreement, and that is where the focus of Ukrainians, Russians, and the international community should be,” Kerry said.
In addition, he called on “Russia and its proxies in eastern Ukraine to end the violence around Mariupol and the Donetsk airport.”
“The President and I have repeatedly said if the Minsk agreement is fully implemented, sanctions can be rolled back; and if it isn’t and violations continue, pressure will only increase. The choice is Russia’ s,” Kerry said.
