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Biden Uses Kiev Visit To Lecture Russia
US Vice-President Joe Biden told Russia today “to stop talking and start acting” to reduce tension in Ukraine.
He insisted that Moscow should be using its influence to encourage pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine to vacate government buildings and checkpoints, accept amnesty and “address their grievances politically.”
Mr Biden had nothing to say about the ongoing occupation of property by pro-government forces or the role of far-right paramilitary groups.
He lectured Moscow on the need to act “without delay,” adding: “We will not allow this to become an open-ended process.”
Apparently oblivious to his own country’s history, Mr Biden said that no country had the right to take another’s territory.
His host Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the coup-installed Ukrainian Prime Minister, said: “No country should be able to behave like an armed bandit.
“Russia should stick to its international commitments and obligations. They should not behave as gangsters in the modern century.”
Mr Biden announced that Washington would provide Kiev with an additional $50 million (£30m) to help with political and economic reforms.
The money includes $11m (£6.5m) to help conduct the May 25 presidential election, including voter education, administration and oversight.
It will also help fund expert teams from US government agencies to help Ukraine to reduce its reliance on energy supplies from Russia.
“Imagine where you’d be today if you were able to tell Russia: ‘Keep your gas.’ It would be a very different world you’d be facing today,” said Mr Biden.
He urged his Ukrainian politician audience to “fight the cancer of corruption that is endemic in your system right now.”
Earlier, Russian Foreign Secretary Sergey Lavrov told Washington that “before putting forth ultimatums to us, demanding fulfilment of something within two-three days or otherwise be threatened with sanctions,” it should take responsibility for Kiev’s reliance on extremists.
“The Right Sector group has been running the show in the streets of central and western Ukraine and is trying to affect eastern regions,” he said.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the State Duma today that $250 billion (£150bn) was a fair assessment of the post-Soviet aid given to Ukraine, “including the non-market conditions for gas trade.”
Via Morning Star
Source: http://rinf.com/alt-news/breaking-news/biden-uses-kiev-visit-lecture-russia/
