William Taylor: I'm optimistic about Ukraine

31.12.2019 14:52

Ukrinform

William Taylor, the Chargé d'Affaires, a.i. of the United States Embassy in Ukraine, completes his mission in Kyiv and transfers the authority.

“When I arrived here [in Ukraine] last June, I knew that I was here for a limited period of time. The time since June has been a great one, exciting time to be in Ukraine!” the diplomat says in a video address published by the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine on Twitter.

He recalled the election of a new Verkhovna Rada, the establishment of the High Anti-Corruption Court. “There have been opportunities for many of the reforms that have been pending for years and years to be enacted by a very active Rada. Progress towards peace in Donbas, phone conversations between President Zelensky President and Putin, prisoner exchanges… This has been a great time for me to be here. It’s going to be a great time going forward,” Taylor said.

He also recalled that high-level visitors from Washington had visited and continued to visit Ukraine.

“The United States has demonstrated its strong support for Ukraine. Most recently, in this support for sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 ... I’m very optimistic about Ukraine. I’m very pleased that my deputy, deputy chief of the Mission Kristina Kvien, will take over after me. It’s a great opportunity for her and Ukraine to form this relationship,” the diplomat noted.

Taylor was the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine in 2006-2009. In the summer of 2019, he was asked to return to Ukraine after the resignation of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.

Kristina Kvien has a BA in Political Science from Occidental College and an MS in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. From 2013-April 2019, she served as Acting DCM/Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at U.S. Embassy Paris. Previously, Kvien worked in Thailand, the UK, Moscow and Brussels. Kvien was the U.S. Charge d’Affairs a.i. at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine after the resignation of Ambassador Yovanovitch. Kvien arrived in Kyiv on May 28 and served as the Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the United States in Ukraine until Taylor's appointment in June.