The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine continues to operate in Kyiv, member companies of the business association also continue to do business and have business continuity plans in place already for several years, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine Andy Hunder has said.
“The American Chamber of Commerce team continues to operate in Kyiv. We are constantly in touch with our members, Ukraine’s government, and the US Embassy. This continuous dialogue and communication have been a strategic pillar of the American Chamber of Commerce for the past 30 years in Ukraine,” Hunder said in a commentary to Interfax-Ukraine.
He said that American Chamber of Commerce member companies have had business continuity plans in place already for several years, which are being regularly reviewed and updated.
“American Chamber of Commerce member companies continue to operate in Ukraine, contributing to the country’s economy, having already invested over $50 billion in the country, employing people, and contributing to the state budget,” the president of the business association said.
The main staff of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine has moved to Lviv, a U.S. State Department official said.
“The main staff of the embassy has moved to Lviv to continue our important work in supporting Ukraine and finding a diplomatic solution to this crisis, which, of course, Russia has created,” the official told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.
During a telephone conversation with U.S. President Joseph Biden on Sunday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky invited him to pay a visit to Ukraine, according to the website of the Ukrainian head of state.
“I am convinced that your arrival in Kyiv in the coming days, which is decisive for stabilizing the situation, will be a powerful signal and will contribute to de-escalation,” Zelensky said.
During the conversation, they also talked about increasing the financial and energy stability of Ukraine against the backdrop of current challenges.
Zelensky said that the Ukrainian side understands all the current risks, ready for any development of the situation. “We will stop any escalation towards Ukraine. The capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, other cities of our state – Kharkiv and Lviv, Dnipro and Odesa – are safe and under reliable protection,” he said.
The President of Ukraine noted the steps taken by the U.S. and other partners that continue to provide effective support to Ukraine. “We expect that, among other things, it will help prevent the spread of panic,” Zelensky said.
He thanked Biden for U.S. support and noted the importance of providing effective security guarantees to Ukraine. “We are ready to discuss them in different formats,” Zelensky said, emphasizing that there can be no security in Europe without the security of Ukraine.
Issues related to Ukraine and Russia’s actions continue to be in the focus of the United States administration, regardless of where its employees are, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
“That remains front and center in what we’re doing and indeed what I continue to do even as we’re heading to Australia,” Blinken told reporters accompanying him to Canberra aboard the plane.
“I’ve been on the phone during a chunk of this trip talking to various counterparts with some focus on Russia-Ukraine. I spent some time talking to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan as well,” he said.
“And this is part of, as we’ve tabulated, with foreign counterparts something like 200-plus engagements just in recent weeks – phone calls, video conferences, in-person meetings, where we have been working to coordinate all of our partners in standing up to this Russian aggression directed toward Ukraine,” Blinken said.
“We have been engaged in a two-track strategy where we have, on the one hand, been pursuing diplomacy, but at the same time building up strong deterrence to dissuade Russia from taking aggressive action,” the US Secretary of State said.
U.S. President Joe Biden intends to appoint Bridget Brink, who currently represents Washington in Slovakia, as the country’s ambassador to Ukraine, CNN said on Monday.
The appointment will take place when the Ukrainian side gives formal confirmation, the television channel said.
The United States has not had a permanent ambassador to Ukraine since 2019. At the moment, Kristina Kvien serves as Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.
Brink has been representing the United States in Slovakia since August 2019. She served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs from 2015 to 2018. She also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassies in Uzbekistan (2014-2015) and Georgia (2011-2014).
A delegation of U.S. congressmen, led by head of the International Committee of the House of Representatives Gregory Meeks, left for Ukraine on Tuesday, The Hill reports.
Both Democrats and Republicans are participating in the trip.
The visit of members of Congress to Ukraine will be the third trip to the country by legislators from the United States in recent months. Earlier last week, a delegation of the Senate visited Ukraine, and in December last year, a delegation of the House of Representatives headed by Ruben Gallego visited the country.
Meeks himself said on Monday that he supports the diplomatic path chosen by the U.S. president to reduce tension on the border between Russia and Ukraine, and also criticized Russia for the lack of signs of de-escalation.
