In a demonstration of support for Ukraine’s
fledgling government, Secretary of State John Kerry arrived here on Tuesday
with an offer of $1 billion in American loan guarantees and pledges of
technical assistance, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday. The
purpose of the loan guarantee is to support Ukraine’s efforts to integrate with
the West and to help offset the reduction of energy subsidies from Russia,
which has challenged the new government’s legitimacy and occupied the Crimean
Peninsula. The United States will also send technical experts to help Ukraine’s
national bank and finance ministry, provide advice on how to fight corruption
and train election monitors to help establish the legitimacy of Ukraine’s
coming election.
American officials are offering assistance in recovering “stolen
assets,” an allusion to the billions of dollars that are alleged to have been
spirited out of the country by former President Viktor F. Yanukovych and
powerful businessmen. The United States will also provide technical advice so
that Ukraine might lodge complaints with the World Trade Organization should
Russia try to use trade as a political weapon. Economic sanctions to punish
Russia for its military intervention in Crimea, the senior official said, are
likely to be imposed within days. “I think there will be movement on sanctions
very likely later in this week,” said the State Department official, who could
not be identified under the agency’s protocol for briefing reporters on Mr.
Kerry’s trip. “There’s a whole spectrum of sanctions.” Mr. Kerry’s visit here,
his first as secretary of state, is both a symbolic and tangible illustration
of American support as the White House has tried to line up European backing to
counteract Russian pressure on the new Ukrainian authorities. Mr. Kerry plans to
meet with the acting prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, and the acting
president, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, as well as leaders of the Rada, or Ukrainian
parliament.
Secretary of State
John Kerry stood in front of a barricade at the Shrine of the Fallen in Kiev on
Tuesday. Foto Kevin
Lamarque/Agence France-Presse
The whole article is available at
0 comments:
Post a Comment