The United States will continue to work with Ukraine on a wide range of common interests, U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Ukraine Kristina Kvien has said.
“As President Biden’s administration has affirmed, the United States remains committed to Ukraine as one of our closest partners and friends, and we continue to work together across the full range of our extensive mutual interest,” Kvien said in a video statement at Kyiv Security Forum hosted by Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s Open Ukraine Foundation on Wednesday.
According to U.S. Charge d’Affaires, today it can be recognized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has faced challenges on the way to resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine and fighting corruption, which causes “a significant obstacle to inclusive economic growth and Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration.”
“On fight against corruption, we have witnessed persistent attacks by vested interests who seek to undermine the independence and effectiveness of Ukraine’s anticorruption infrastructure, and an effort to avoid accountability for their corrupt behavior,” the diplomat said.
Kvien commended the Verkhovna Rada’s adoption in the first reading of the reform of the Security Service of Ukraine, as well as Zelensky’s commitment to conduct a comprehensive judicial reform, which is a very necessary step to reduce corruption in Ukraine.
She said the main directions of the U.S. policy towards Ukraine have broad bipartisan support in Washington. “United States should, in coordination with international financial institutions, EU and G7 continue to provide assistance to help Ukraine build modern democratic economy that is fully compatible with EU standards and norms. That assistance should be linked to effective reform measures,” the U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Ukraine said.
She recalled that since 2014, the United States has provided assistance to Ukraine totaling $4.5 billion and pledged that the United States will continue to provide this assistance to advance reforms and strengthen security.
Kvien said the new U.S. leadership is actively supporting Ukraine, as discussed by U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. She also said that recently it was announced that Ihor Kolomoisky was included in the sanctions list.
