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Ukraine: U.S. Vice-President Biden Reassures
U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden arrives in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
His visit comes hot on the heels of President Barack Obama’s trip to Moscow.
Biden’s here to tell Ukraine’s leaders that Washington hasn’t forgotten them, even as the U.S. looks to improve relations with Russia.
Biden met first with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.
He came to power in 2004’s Orange Revolution.
Since then, relations with neighboring Russia have worsened.
Ukraine is a major transit route for Russian gas heading to Europe.
A January dispute between Russia and Ukraine over gas prices temporarily cut off supplies of Russian gas to millions of Europeans.
Yushschenko asked Biden if the U.S. could help finance the modernization of its gas transit network.
Yuschenko’s aggressive bid to join NATO has angered Moscow.
But Biden said the United States would support Ukraine as it chooses alliances.
[U.S. Vice-President, Joe Biden]:
“We’re working, as you know Mr. President, to re-set our relationship with Russia. But I assure you and all Ukrainian people, that it will not come at Ukraine’s expense. To the contrary, I believe it can actually benefit Ukraine. The more substantive relationship we have with Moscow, the more we can defuse the zero-sum thinking about our relations with Russia’s neighbors.”
“We’re working, as you know Mr. President, to re-set our relationship with Russia. But I assure you and all Ukrainian people, that it will not come at Ukraine’s expense. To the contrary, I believe it can actually benefit Ukraine. The more substantive relationship we have with Moscow, the more we can defuse the zero-sum thinking about our relations with Russia’s neighbors.”
After Ukraine, Biden heads to another of Russia’s neighbors: Georgia.
The ex-Soviet state fought a brief war with Russia last August and is also looking to join NATO.
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