Biden announces more US aid for Ukraine
Brussels is still looking at submittals from Kyiv because, above all, Ukraine’s parliament has been slow to reform. “Today, Russia’s occupying sovereign Ukrainian territory”.
“America’s position on Crimea is expected to be discussed, along with the further implementation of reforms in Ukraine”.
“The adoption of even the best and highest-profile decisions that “suit Biden” only underscores the absence of a coherent strategy for reforming our country”, Ukrainian political commentator Yevgen Magda said. A recent poll by the Yaremenko Ukrainian Institute for Social Research showed that 72 percent of those asked do not believe Ukraine is heading in the right direction, saying either the reform process is moving too slowly or not at all.
Special attention will be paid to the judicial sector. Biden’s own son, Hunter, is on the board of a Ukrainian energy company that has faced allegations of corruption.
During their joint briefing Monday, Biden also said the US “stands firmly with the people of Ukraine” in the face of “continued aggression” by Russian Federation and Russia-backed separatists.
Biden said Monday that the new aid will help the country implement reforms and fight corruption.
President Petro Poroshenko has been criticized for not doing enough to fight oligarchs many of whom have remained powerful brokers and taken on roles of managing crucial eastern regions bordering on the separatist-controlled areas. “We understand how hard some of the votes for reforms are but they are critical for putting Ukraine back on the right path”. “There’s no question they are concerned with Syria and not with Ukraine at the moment”.
President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, pauses while making a statement on Wednesday’s mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Biden warned that if the government doesn’t do more, worldwide support will stop.
Preparations began hours before the highly-anticipated speech by US Vice President Joe Biden in the Ukrainian Parliament.
“This week we received an official refusal from the USA government to provide guarantees on Ukraine’s liabilities”.
The U.S. administration also said the vice president will reassure Ukraine that Washington will not relax economic sanctions on Russian Federation.
Ukraine’s army requires serious investment, specialised military experience and modernisation assistance. Earlier this year, the USA committed to training Ukrainian troops, a mission conducted by 300 USA soldiers at a compound in western Ukraine.
“But in addition, you also have a battle”.