January 16, 2017 (Theguardian) Vice-president
Joe Biden, on a last foreign trip before leaving office, met Ukraine’s
president on Monday and called on the incoming Donald Trump administration to
retain Ukraine-related sanctions against Russia.
Biden’s comments at a briefing
with President Petro Poroshenko came after Trump indicated in an interview
with The Times and Bild that he could end sanctions imposed in the
aftermath Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, in return for a nuclear arms
reduction deal.
Trump’s attitude to Russia and praise
for President Vladimir Putin has been a consistently controversial feature
of his rise to the White House, which will be completed with his inauguration
in Washington on Friday.
US intelligence agencies believe
Russia sought to covertly influence the US election in Trump’s favour and
against the Democratic nominee, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Trump
has recently admitted that he believes Russia did orchestrate such hacks, but
has nonetheless fuelled a bitter feud with intelligence officials over
the issue.
Vice-president Joe Biden met with
Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko on his last foreign trip before leaving
office. Photograph: TASS / Barcroft Images
“The international community must continue to
stand as one against Russian coercion and aggression,” Biden told reporters,
standing alongside Poroshenko, in remarks which did not include reference to
Trump by name. “The Crimea-related sanctions against Russia must remain in
place until Russia returns full control to the people of Ukraine.” Russia
annexed Crimea in 2014. Other US sanctions are connected to Russia’s
involvement in the separatist war in eastern Ukraine. “Together with our EU and G7 partners,” Biden
said, “we made it clear that sanctions should remain in place until Russia fully,
emphasise fully, implements its commitments under the Minsk agreement.” Poroshenko
said Ukraine believed in good cooperation with the new US administration and
urged sanctions to stay, without mentioning Trump’s remarks on a deal with
Russia. The full article is available at:
0 comments:
Post a Comment