A day after Ukraine decided to scrap a historic deal with the European Union, US officials said Friday that Secretary of State John Kerry had dropped plans to visit Kiev, cited by AFP.
The top US diplomat had been due to attend a meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is being held in the Ukrainian capital on December 5-6.
But State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that “due to scheduling issues” Kerry “will not be attending the OSCE in the Ukraine.”
She refused to be drawn on whether Kerry’s change of heart was a sign of US displeasure at the failure to reach an association agreement with the European Union.
Moscow, Kiev’s former Soviet master, has exerted huge pressure on the Ukrainian leadership not to move closer to the EU bloc, and threatened economic retaliation.
The deal also collapsed when the Ukrainian parliament failed to agree on freeing jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko — a key EU demand.
Psaki had voiced US disappointment Thursday at the failure of the talks.
“The EU has offered Ukraine an historic opportunity to cement a European future for its people and demonstrate to international financial institutions and investors its unwavering commitment to democratic reform,” she said.
“We stand with the vast majority of Ukrainians who want to see this future for their country, and we commend the EU for keeping the door open,” she added.
Assistant Secretary for Europe Victoria Nuland will now lead the US delegation to the OSCE meeting.
