UPDATE 2-Biden offers Ukraine US help on energy, aid allocation


* US Vice President to announce package of technical help

* Two-day visit to Kyiv largely symbolic

* Will call for urgent implementation of Geneva agreement

(Updates with details from administration official)

By Jeff Mason

KYIV, April 21 (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Joe Biden
will announce a package of technical assistance focused on
energy and economic aid distribution during a two-day visit to
Ukraine that began on Monday, a senior administration official
said.

Biden is the highest ranking U.S. official to visit the
country since the crisis with Russia erupted months ago.

His trip is largely symbolic. But during talks with
Ukrainian leaders on Tuesday he will announce U.S. assistance,
primarily of technical know-how to boost energy efficiency as
well as production in Ukrainian natural gas fields and
extraction of “unconventional” gas resources, a senior
administration official told reporters traveling on board the
vice president’s plane.

A U.S. team was also in Ukraine to help deal with the issue
of securing gas flows from EU countries such as Slovakia and
Hungary in the event that Russia cuts off Ukraine’s supply, the
official said.

Kyiv gets about half of its gas from Moscow and a large
proportion of Europe’s gas is pumped from Russia via Ukraine.
The United States is pushing Ukraine and the European Union to
diversify their energy supplies and become less reliant on
Russia.

Biden arrived in Kyiv as an agreement reached last week to
avert wider conflict in Ukraine began to falter.

Pro-Moscow separatist gunmen have maintained their grip on
seized government buildings across swathes of eastern Ukraine as
Washington threatens to impose new economic sanctions on Moscow,
which it says it will hold responsible.

“(Biden) wanted to come to Kyiv to send a very clear message
of the United States’ support for Ukraine’s democracy, unity,
sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the official said.

“He will call for urgent implementation of the agreement
reached in Geneva last week while also making clear … that
there will be mounting costs for Russia if they choose a
destabilizing rather than constructive course in the days
ahead.”

The economic portion of Biden’s package will involve U.S.
teams helping Ukraine ensure international aid was allocated
effectively in all parts of the country, the official said.

Biden will also discuss a recent U.S. tranche of security
aid, excluding weaponry, for Ukrainian forces such as blankets
and helmets and options for following up on that.

“He’ll have the opportunity to speak with the government
about what more is needed and what more we could provide in the
period ahead,” the official said.

Biden is scheduled to meet with Ukraine’s acting president,
Oleksander Turchinov, and Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk on
Tuesday. He will also see members of Ukraine’s parliament and
representatives from non-governmental organizations.

(Editing by Susan Fenton)