Deputy Secretary John Sullivan at the @mfa_ukraine Diplomatic Academy: I am honored to be here to affirm the United States’ unwavering support for an independent #Ukraine – one that is stable, democratic, prosperous, and free. We remain committed to restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity and ensuring the safety and security of its citizens.
Deputy Secretary John Sullivan reaffirms the deep and enduring U.S.-#Italy relationship and thanks our Italian allies for their critical support in addressing foreign policy issues in #Libya, #Ukraine, #Lebanon, and #NorthKorea at the Center for American Studies in Rome. #USItalyCooperation
International exchange students participating in programs with the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) regularly volunteer in their host communities throughout the United States. Zlata, left, a student from #Ukraine in ECA’s Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program, and Faysal, a student from #Lebanon who is doing the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study (#KLYES) program, just arrived in the U.S., but already had the opportunity to give back. Since #HurricaneHarvey they have been volunteering at a local church helping displaced Texans.
The #FLEXProgram provides scholarships for high school students from Europe and Eurasia to spend an academic year in America. The YES program provides scholarships for high school students (ages 15-17 years) from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend an #exchangeyear in the United States.
Photo credit: @exchangeourworld; original photo posted by @f.aysalhaddad.
Today, Secretary Tillerson welcomed Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland to the @StateDept in Washington, D.C. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed a number of important issues, including #NAFTA renegotiations, #NorthKorea, #Venezuela, #Ukraine, economic issues, and advancing the Columbia River Treaty. Secretary Tillerson said, “This is just an extraordinarily strong relationship between the U.S. and #Canada, built on strong security, economic values, and shared values around freedom and tolerance.”
U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker traveled to eastern Ukraine this weekend to discuss the importance of security and safety for all Ukrainians. Today, he is on travel to #Kyiv, where he is meeting with Ukrainian officials to discuss the path to restoring Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. #Ukraine
United States Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker will travel to eastern Ukraine on July 21 to meet with those who have been affected by Russian aggression and to discuss the importance of security and safety for all Ukrainians. On July 24, he will be in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian officials to discuss the path to restoring Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He will then travel to Paris to see French and German officials to discuss the Minsk process and Normandy format conversations. His next stop will be Brussels, where he will meet EU and NATO officials on resolving the conflict in Ukraine. On July 26, he will travel to Vienna for meetings with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to discuss the efforts of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in eastern Ukraine. He will then travel to London, where he will consult with British officials regarding the way forward in Ukraine.
(Source: state.gov)
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s remarks with Ukrainian President Poroshenko during a joint press availability in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 9, 2017: https://go.usa.gov/xNFnU
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson receives a traditional greeting of bread and salt as he arrives in Kyiv for his first official visit to #Ukraine. During his trip, Secretary Tillerson will meet with President Poroshenko and with young reformers from government and civil society. The Secretary will reaffirm America’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while encouraging the Government of Ukraine to continue implementing reforms that will strengthen Ukraine’s economic, political, and military resilience.
Spokesperson Heather Nauert
June 21, 2017
We regret that Russia has decided to turn
away from an opportunity to discuss bilateral obstacles that hinder U.S.-Russia
relations.
During the Secretary’s April visit to Moscow, he and Foreign Minister Lavrov agreed to establish a senior-level working group to discuss bilateral issues of concern. Undersecretary Shannon had planned to travel to St. Petersburg this week to continue discussions which began in May when he met Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov in New York.
The maintenance package of sanctions issued yesterday by the Treasury Department, which only reinforced existing sanctions, was designed to counter attempts to circumvent our sanctions and to maintain alignment of U.S. measures with those of our international partners. We have regularly updated these sanctions twice a year since they were first imposed.
Let’s remember that these sanctions didn’t just come out of nowhere. Our targeted sanctions were imposed in response to Russia’s ongoing violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbor, Ukraine. If the Russians seek an end to these sanctions, they know very well the U.S. position: Our sanctions on Russia related Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine will remain in place until Russia fully honors its obligations under the Minsk Agreements. Our sanctions related to Crimea will not be lifted until Russia ends its occupation of the peninsula.
We would refer you to the Russian government to explain their decision to cancel this meeting. From our perspective, and as Secretary Tillerson has made clear, there are many issues to be discussed. We remain open to future discussions.
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