COPENHAGEN, Denmark — U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan says that U.S. President Donald J. Trump wants to have a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation in Ukraine and other issues, not to surrender any American principles.
Sullivan said, at a press point in Copenhagen after his participation in the June 27 Ukraine Reform Conference: “What President Trump is saying is that he himself wants to engage with President Putin on these important issues. We have a lot to talk about with the Russians. Ukraine will be at the top of the list, I assure you, but there are many other issues on which we need to engage. And this is President Trump saying.”
Trump told reporters in Washington on June 27 that their meeting would likely take place after a July 11-12 summit of NATO leaders that he is scheduled to attend.
Sullivan underlined that the US “needs” to be engaged with Russia. “He wants to engage with President Putin, but our purpose is not to engage for a purposes of surrendering our principles. The president’s purpose is to engage with President Putin so we can discuss important issues such as eastern Ukraine, Crimea, arms control and Syria; there are so many issues where we need to engage with Russia.”
Sullivan said also that “unfortunately” the Trump administration was not successful in the 18 months in office to achieve better relations with Russia. “But that does not mean that we will stop trying,” he assured.
“We are committed to Ukraine, we are committed to supporting the reforms in Ukraine. An independent, democratic Ukraine is a fundamental part of the U.S. foreign policy in Europe. That includes Crimea. Crimea is part of Ukraine, Ukraine includes Crimea,” stated the deputy secretary of state.
Talking about his participation in the Ukraine Reform Conference, Sullivan said reform efforts are very difficult given that Kyiv has an ongoing war in eastern Ukraine and suffered the illegal annexation of Crimea. “Trying to reform their country, bringing out from the past, trying to reform their system while also fighting a war at the eastern border is an enormously difficult task,” he underlined.
Answering a Kyiv Post question about possible threat for the reforms process from the upcoming 2019 presidential and parliamentary election in Ukraine; Sullivan expressed his opinion that the real threat will come from Russian interference.
I think that the history of interference in Ukraine, particular by Russia, of course, is a cause of concern; also interference in other Western elections – all give us reason to be concerned. We are vigilant, we know the Ukrainians are, we will support them in this. It is in everybody’s interest that this election will be free, fair and that the Ukrainian people have confidence that their democracy is functioning.”
