Hale backs U.S. ambassador's statement on Kholodnytsky

Hale said this at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday, March 7, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Ambassador Yovanovitch represents the president of the United States here in Ukraine, and America stands behind her statements [regarding the need to replace the SAPO chief]," he said.

When asked whether the U.S. ambassador's statement was interference in Ukraine's internal affairs, Hale said that the United States seeks what the Ukrainian people seek – the aspirations clearly defined and expressed during the Revolution of Dignity.

"Ukrainian people said then and they say now, I believe, that they want to make a choice – the choice for transparency, accountability and modern good corporate governance. It's especially important that the institutions [in Ukraine] be led by individuals who are committed to those values, especially the institutions that are designed to enforce those rules," Hale said.

Earlier, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch called for the dismissal of Chief of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office Nazar Kholodnytsky.

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